Licence
Summary
To run a sex
shop - i.e. any premises selling sex toys, books or videos - you
may need a licence from us. To run a venue where explicit films are
shown to members of the public, you also need a licence from
us.
Conditions are
attached to permissions granted and a
fee is payable.
We have
recently adopted additional powers to licence sexual
entertainment venues (lap dancing and similar establishments). The
new licensing powers for sexual entertainment venues will
become effective from the 1 March 2011. We have also
agreed a
sex establishment licensing policy which
applies to all sex shops, sex cinemas and sexual entertainment
venues.
Eligibility Criteria
An
applicant:
-
must be at
least 18 years old
-
must not be
disqualified from holding a licence
-
must have
been resident in the UK at least six months immediately before the
application or, if a body corporate, must be incorporated in the
UK
-
must not have
been refused the grant or renewal of a licence for the premises in
question within the last 12 months unless the refusal has been
reversed on appeal
Regulation Summary
The main
legislation covering this permission is the
Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982.
Application Evaluation Process
Applications
must be in writing (including by electronic means) and contain
additional information we require, as well as the applicant's name,
address and, where the applicant is an individual, their age, plus
the address of the premises.
Applicants must
give public notice of their application by publishing an
advertisement in a local newspaper.
Will
Tacit Consent Apply?
No. It is in
the public interest that we must process your application before it
can be granted. If you have not heard from us within 42 Days,
please contact us as detailed below.
Apply
online
Failed
Application Redress
Please contact
us in the first instance.
Any applicant
who is refused a licence, or refused the renewal of a licence, may,
within 21 days of being notified of the refusal, appeal to
the North Somerset Magistrates'
Court.
However, the
right to appeal does not apply where the licence was refused on the
grounds that:
-
the number of
sex establishments in the area exceeds the number which the
authority consider is appropriate
-
the grant of
the licence would be inappropriate considering the character of the
area, the nature of other premises in the area, or the premises
themselves
Licence
Holder Redress
Please contact
us in the first instance.
A licence
holder who wishes to appeal against a condition on a licence can
appeal to the
North Somerset Magistrates'
Court within 21 days of being notified of inclusion of the
condition on the licence.
Consumer Complaint
We would always
advise that in the event of a complaint the first contact is made
with the licence holder by you - preferably in the form a letter
(with proof of delivery). If that has not worked, contact the
Licensing Team.
Licence holders
may at any time apply to the authority for a variation of the
terms, conditions or restrictions in their licence.
If an
application for a variation is refused, or if the licence is
revoked, the licence holder may, within 21 days of being notified
of the imposition of, or the refusal to vary, the term, condition
or restriction in question, or of the revocation, appeal to
the North Somerset Magistrates'
Court.
A licence
holder may also appeal to the crown court against a decision of a
magistrates' court.
Other
Redress
Any person
objecting to an application for the grant, renewal or transfer of a
licence may give written notice of their objection to us, stating
the grounds of the objection, within 28 days of the date of the
application.
Public
Registers
Further
information can be obtained on the registers held by visiting
the
public registers page.
Trade
Associations
None
Contact
Details
For more
information please contact the
Licensing
Team.
