Landlords have until 6 August to transfer their licence

Premises risk finding themselves temporarily out of business if they fail to transfer their existing licences before August.

Newport council has warned that 600 premises have not yet submitted their application to the city authority.

But pub landlords have said the application is a lengthy process.

New rules in force from November require every premises selling alcohol to have both a licensee, which is the current system, and a separate licence for the building.

APPLICATIONS AND PREMISES Carmarthenshire - 0 out of c.1,100 Caerphilly - 8 out of c.500 Cardiff - 67 out of c.1,200 Ceredigion - 6 out of c.500 Conwy - 25 out of c.700 Flint - 74 out of c.600 Gwynedd - 31 out of c.1,000 Merthyr - 3 out of c.200 Neath Port Talbot - 10 out of c.600 Newport - 2 out of c.600 Pembrokeshire - 27 out of c.900 Powys - 12 out of c.850 Torfaen - 13 out of c.360 Wrexham - 31 out of c.400 Ynys Mon - 7 out of 95 pubs No figures for Swansea, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Blaenau Gwent, Denbighshire, Bridgend, Vale of Glamorgan, Monmouthshire

The rules apply to all pubs, clubs, bars, restaurants, theatres, cinemas and takeaways, regardless of when their current licence expires and whether or not they intend to vary their opening hours.

Failure to apply for a premise license could mean that restrictions are imposed on the business, such as not being permitted to sell alcohol.

They also face prosecution if they continue to trade.

If landlords fail to apply by 6 August, they will be treated as someone who is applying for the first time, which would cost more and take more time.

'Avoid rush'

A survey by Radio Cymru's Post Cynta programme has found that a number of councils have expressed concern about the low number of applications they have had for the licenses.

Newport council has received only two applications from a possible 600. Gwynedd council has received 31 out of a possible 1,000.

Newport Councillor Ray Truman, cabinet member for community safety, said: "We are keen to avoid a situation where there is a rush to get all these applications processed towards the end of this period.

"This would hold up the process and, more importantly, cause inconvenience to businesses."

Aneurin Jones, president of Licenced Victuallers Association, said he thought people were in the process of sorting their applications out.

"There are quite a lot of forms to be filled in, even though some of us have been landlords from 30-40 years," he said.