Do I need a licence?
‘Sex establishments’ are required to be licensed under the Local
Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982.
A sex establishment can either be a sex shop or a sex
cinema:
- A sex shop is a premises used for business which consists, to a
significant degree, of selling sex articles.
- A sex cinema is any premises used to a significant degree for
showing of films which are concerned primarily with, or relate to,
or are intended to stimulate sexual activity.
What is the application procedure?
The law defines the way in which an application is made, which
includes advertising a notice of the application in the local press
and displaying a notice outside the premises for a specific time
period (21 days), to give passers by the opportunity to comment by
a statutory closing date.
When considering an application for a sex establishment licence,
the Council may only use the following criteria:
- The suitability of the applicant.
- Whether the person applying is a 'front' person for someone
else.
- The location and situation of the premises in relation to other
premises in the area.
- Whether the number of sex establishments in that locality is
equal to or exceeds the number which the Council considers
appropriate for the area.
Licences are not issued for periods longer than twelve months.
The fee is £12,000 (with further annual renewal fee of £4,000).
How do I apply for a licence?
We can either post or email the sex establishment licence
application form to you. Alternatively, the application form,
application guidance, the conditions of licence and other
supporting documents can be downloaded or printed
off by following the links below.
Follow this link for help with downloading and opening PDF files.
Right of appeal
Any person aggrieved by a refusal to be granted a licence or by
any condition to which a licence is subject may appeal to the
Magistrates' Court.
An appeal against a decision made at the Magistrates’ Court may
be appealed at the Crown Court but the decision of the Crown Court
is final.
Offences and penalties
Anybody who operates a sex establishment without a licence or
fails to comply with licence condition or admits persons under the
age of 18 is committing an offence.
Penalties upon conviction can range from £1,000 to £20,000.
Contact details
For more information and advice please contact:
Licensing Team,
Suffolk Coastal District Council,
Melton Hill,
Woodbridge,
Suffolk IP12 1AU.
Telephone: 01394 444802.
Fax:
01394 385100.
Email:
licensing@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk.
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