Sex Shop and Adult Entertainment Licence

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How to Apply

The application must be in writing and contain any information the local authority requires.

Applicants must give public notice of their application by publishing an advertisement in a local newspaper.

Fees

Licence	Fee
Sex Cinema	£1,200.00
Grant of a Sex Shop	£1,200.00
Administration costs in considering such an application whether withdrawn, approved, or refused, equivalent to 25%	£455.00
Renewal (if no objections)	£455.00

Eligibility

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

Legislation and Conditions

Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982

Processing and Timescales

You will be able to act as though your application is granted if you have not heard from the local authority by the end of the target completion period, 28 days.

Appeal/Redress mechanisms

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 local 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
Unless the applicant can show that these grounds should not apply to him
A licence holder who wishes to appeal against a condition can appeal to a local magistrates' court.

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 local magistrates' court.

A licence holder may also appeal to the crown court against a decision of a magistrates' court.

Any person objecting to an application for the grant, renewal or transfer of a licence may give written notice of their objection to the relevant authority, stating the grounds of the objection, within 28 days of the date of the application.