Entertainment Licensing - Fire and Emergency Services
A Public Entertainment Licence is issued by the Local Authority for all buildings at which entertainment is provided to the public
A Licence is issued either for one or more occasions (an Occasional Licence) or for a period of one year (an Annual Licence). The main purpose of licensing entertainments is to enable the Local Authority to ensure the health, safety and welfare of members of the public.
Licences are, therefore, only granted when the premises (or site), and ancillary arrangements, meet the standards required by the Police, the Fire Service, and the relevant Council Service.
The Fire Service are responsible for advising the Council as to whether the fire safety arrangements for a building are satisfactory for the intended use.
When you apply for a new annual licence, a copy of your application will be sent to the Fire Safety Officer (FSO). The FSO will normally contact you within 14 days to make an appointment to inspect the building. During the inspection, the FSO will discuss the intended uses and the maximum number of people expected to use the building/site at any one time. Following the inspection, you will be advised whether the existing fire precautions are considered to be satisfactory and, if not, what can be done to improve the situation. Advice will also be given on what to do if a fire occurs and calling the Fire Service. The FSO will then send a written report to the Council.
If you are applying to renew an annual licence, the FSO will check the application form to see whether there has been any change in circumstances since a licence was last issued. If so, you will normally be contacted within 14 days to discuss what changes have been made and whether a further inspection is necessary. The FSO may need to visit even if no changes have been made although this will depend on how long it has been since the last visit. Should a further inspection be necessary, the FSO will, of course, make an appointment.
Although your contact with the Fire Service will normally be when an inspection is made, please remember that the FSO will be pleased to deal with your queries on fire safety matters at any time.