Entertainment Licensing

Licensing Summary

If you wish to provide entertainment to members of the public you must obtain a licence from Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.

There are generally two main types of entertainment: Indoor and Outdoor.

Indoor entertainment consist of:

• Music, singing, dancing or similar entertainments
• Theatrical performances
• Circuses
• Boxing, wrestling, judo or karate matches or exhibitions, and similar sports
• Snooker, pool or billiards and darts matches or exhibitions, and similar games
• Video machines, pool and snooker tables

This applies to:

1. any place where, on payment of a charge, persons are admitted for the purpose of entertainment or amusement;
2. any place where, on payment of a charge, meals or refreshments are supplied to the public; and
3. any place where, on payment of a charge, persons may use any machines or equipment referred to in sub-paragraph (4 of the order) for the purpose of entertainment or amusement.

Outdoor Entertainment is entertainment of a musical nature that takes place in the open air and on private land. A licence is not required for a garden fete, an athletics event, a religious meeting, a pleasure fair or certain other events at which music is secondary.

Premises must meet certain technical requirements before a licence can be granted and must comply with any conditions or rules of management attached to a licence once issued.

Eligibility Criteria

A licence may not be granted, renewed or transferred if the applicant has been convicted of an offence of either providing unlicensed entertainment, or providing entertainments otherwise than in accordance with the licence terms and conditions within 5 years preceding the date of the application.

Regulation Summary

The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) (NI) Order 1985

Application Evaluation Process

In order to make a valid application for a grant, renewal or transfer entertainments licence you must provide all of the following to Council (in the case of a renewal before the date of expiry date on your current licence):

1. Council must receive an application form, fully completed, and signed by the applicant.
   
2. Council must receive the appropriate fee (see below for details).
   
3. Council must receive the following supporting documentation, where current certificates held by Council have expired:

   • Periodic inspection report for an electrical installation completed by one of the following:
   
   -- NICEIC approved contractor
   -- Member of the Institute of Electrical Engineers (NIEE)

   • Firefighting equipment certificate.

   • Emergency lighting test certificate completed by one of the following:
   
   -- NICEIC approved contractor
   -- Member of the Institute of Electrical Engineers (NIEE)
   
   • A fire alarm/automatic detection test certificate completed by one of the following:
   
   -- NICEIC approved contractor
   -- An agent/company competent in installing and testing such systems
   
   • A letter from your insurance broker confirming public liability insurance detailing the amount of cover and expiry date.
   
   • A certificate of fire proofing of curtains/drapes. Any curtains/drapes that have been laundered should be retreated with the appropriate fire proofing.
   
   • Provide a copy of Fire Risk Assessment and keep a copy in log book. Fire Risk Assessments should be reviewed on an annual basis.
   
   • Up-to-date plans should be provided where structural alterations have been carried out. The plans should be a minimum scale of 1:100 and marked up with all the current fire safety precautions that are in place e.g. location of emergency exit signage, emergency lighting, heat detectors, break glass call points etc

4. The applicant should also ensure that an advertisement is placed in the local paper, within 7 days of making an application.

Copies of the application will then be sent to the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service. Their comments will be taken into consideration when deciding whether or not the licence should be granted.

Following receipt of a valid application Council will carry out an inspection of your premises (at times with the NIFRS) before a new application or alterations to an existing licensed premises can be approved. This may require works to be carried out to enhance fire safety.

If this inspection shows the premises to be satisfactory in terms of the requirements of the entertainments licence a renewed licence will be issued.

Will Tacit Consent Apply?

Tacit consent will only apply where a valid renewal application is received before the date of expiry of the existing licence. This means that the licence is deemed to remain in force beyond the expiry date of the previous licence until such times as the application is withdrawn, renewed or refused in accordance with the time scales detailed above.

Failure to submit a valid renewal application by the expiry date will mean that after that date the premises will not have a valid entertainments licence for entertainment and the provision of entertainment should cease until a new licence is issued.

Failure to submit a valid application within 8 weeks of the expiry date will result in the return of all documentation already received and a refund of the application fee. After this date you will no longer be able to renew the existing licence. It will be cancelled and you will have to apply for the grant of a new entertainments licence which can take up to twelve weeks to be processed. During this time you will not have a valid entertainments licence and the provision of entertainment should cease until a new licence is issued.

Applications received after the date of expiry of an existing licence will be treated as an application for the Grant of a licence.

Tacit consent does not apply to applications for the grant of a licence. It is in the public interest that such applications are fully processed before a licence can be issued.

Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) (NI) Order 1985

Please note that under the above legislation any person providing entertainment without a valid licence shall be guilty of an offence and any substantiated unlicensed entertainments taking place may result in formal action being taken. Any person guilty of an offence shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £20,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.

Footnotes:

* A "voluntary organisation" means an organisation carrying on or proposing to carry on activities otherwise than for the purpose of gain by the organisation or individual members thereof.

Apply Online

• Application for a licence to offer Entertainment
• Application to renew an Entertainment Licence
• Application to change an Entertainment Licence
• Application to transfer an Entertainment Licence (at Renewal Stage)
• Application to transfer an Entertainment Licence (Valid Licence Held)

Forms to download, print and post

• Application to apply for an Entertainment Licence
• Application to transfer an Entertainment Licence
• Advertisement for Newspaper (N.B. to be put in newspaper within 7 days of making the application)

What happens after I get my Entertainment’s Licence?

Entertainment licences are granted for a maximum of one year, are renewable and are always subject to various licensing conditions e.g. days and hours of use, types of entertainment that may be provided, occupant capacities, etc. To ensure that these conditions are maintained the Licensing Section regularly inspect licensed premises when in use to determine that all conditions are being complied with and to take any necessary action should this not be the case.

Contact Details

Health and Built Environment Licensing Section
Environmental Services Department
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council
Riada House
14 Charles Street
Ballymoney
BT53 6DZ

Tel: 028 2766 0233
Email: environmentalhealth@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk

Failed Application Redress

Please contact Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council in the first instance.

Applicants will be notified within 10 working days of any Council decision in respect of the application.

Where the application is refused the applicant can appeal to the County Court. This must be done within 21 days of the date the applicant has been notified of such a decision.

Applicants can also appeal any term, condition or restriction imposed on them by the licence. Again, this should be done within 21 days of receiving notification of the term, condition or restriction to the County Court.

Licence Holder Redress

Please contact Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council in the first instance.

A licence holder may apply to vary a condition attached to a licence. Applications are made directly to Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.

Consumer Complaint

We would advise that in the event of a complaint, the first contact is made with the trader by you – preferably in the form of a letter (with proof of deliver).

If that has not worked, if you are located in the UK: Consumer Direct will give you advice. From outside the UK contact the: European Consumer Centre.

Other Redress

Any complaints concerning entertainment, including complaints about breach of conditions of licence, noise, etc. should be made directly to the Health and Built Environment Licensing Section, Environmental Services Department, Riada house, 14 Charles Street, Ballymoney, BT53 6DZ, Telephone No. 028 2766 0233, or by email at environmentalhealth@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk.

Trade Associations and Useful Links

For advise on Fire Risk Assessment: www.nifrs.org/fire-safety/

To make enquiries about a licence to sell alcohol, contact the local Court Office at: Coleraine Court Office For advise on the Retail Licensed Trade contact: Pubs of Ulster Other licences may be required for the provision of music to the public: Performing Rights Society, PPL Licensing