Vape shop applications enquiry
Case reference FOI2026/00516
Received 6 March 2026
Published 25 March 2026
Request
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would like to request the following information.
For specialist vape shops or retail premises primarily selling vaping products within your local authority area, please provide:
1. The number of retail applications submitted for vape shops in your area from 1st January to 31st December 2023.
1a. The number of approved vs rejected applications in 2023.
2. The number of retail applications submitted for vape shops in your area from 1st January to 31st December 2024.
2a. The number of approved vs rejected applications in 2024.
3. The number of retail applications submitted for vape shops in your area from 1st January to 31st December 2025.
3a. The number of approved vs rejected applications in 2025.
4. The number of retail applications submitted for vape shops in your area from 1st January to 28th February 2026.
4a. The number of approved vs rejected applications in 2026.
Response
Thank you for your request for information. Please find the answers to your queries below:
There is currently no Licensing system for the retail of Vape products. One is planned under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill however this is some way off from being in effect.
The legislation covering premises licensing, the Licensing Act 2003, requires a local authority to maintain a “register” as per the requirement of section 8 of the Act.
In addition, in accordance with the Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014 all licensing decisions including the grant premises licences can be found on the public portal available following the link below.
As such, if you are asking about premises licensing, the information you require can be found from publicly available sources and consequentially under Section 21 of the Act, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible.
The Council’s public register can be accessed here:
https://mylicencegbc.guildford.gov.uk/registers/index.html?fa=licence_register
Yours sincerely,
FOI Team
Guildford Borough Council
Documents
This is Guildford Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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