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Not getting the right licence for your requirements can give you a headache, or at worst shut down your premises.
To get clarity on which licence your establishment requires and for details on how to apply, our expert lawyers can offer you a free initial no obligation discussion, to ensure you are not falling foul of the law inadvertently. We have seen that better outcomes are achieved when one of our experienced solicitors are brought in at an early stage, before costly mistakes are made, so get in contact today for a no obligation discussion.
Below you will find some background information on the legalities surrounding this area of the law, to help you get an idea of your options.
Legal Facts…
- The regime of licensing ‘sex establishments’, which includes ‘sexual entertainment venues’ (lap dancing and pole dancing clubs), ‘sex cinemas’ and ‘sex shops’ is separate from the public entertainment activities authorised by a Premises Licence although both regimes require an application for a licence to the local authority.
- A sexual entertainment venue is one providing live displays of nudity or live performances, with or without nudity, designed to sexually stimulate members of the audience.
- A sex cinema is any premises predominantly used for the display of moving pictures concerned with sex or sexually associated matters. A sex shop is any establishment selling predominantly ‘sex articles’. It is often a matter of argument whether the number of sex articles sold or sex films screened comprises a significantly large proportion of the business transacted to require a licence.
- Businesses wishing to supply restricted adult videos must also be careful to comply with licensing requirements if they are not to commit a criminal offence.
See also our Leisure Industry Factsheet (PDF).