Lewisham Council Homepage Skip navigation

Entertainment de-regulation April 2015

Certain types of entertainment were deregulated in April 2015.
Telephones

We're currently experiencing technical issues with our telephone system and are working with our supplier to resolve them as quickly as possible.

You may experience connectivity issues and longer wait times as a result.

We apologise for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience and understanding while we restore normal service.

Potential scam targeting premises license holders - person impersonating licensing officer

We've received reports of an individual impersonating a Licensing Officer and contacting businesses to request payments.

Lewisham Council licensing officers will never request cash payments under any circumstances. Council officers will not provide Council bank account details over the telephone or ask for payments to be made to personal accounts.

If you receive any suspicious calls, requests for payment, or communications claiming to be from the Licensing Team, please do not make any payment. Email our licensing team on licensing@lewisham.gov.uk to verify the request. We encourage all licence holders to remain vigilant and report any suspected fraudulent activity.

Live and recorded music

  • Live unamplified music deregulated on any premises between 8am–11pm.

  • Live amplified music deregulated between 8am–11pm provided the audience does not exceed 500.

  • Live music can become licensable in on-licensable premises if the licensing authority removes the effect of the deregulation following a licence review.

  • Recorded music deregulated between 8am–11pm in on licensed premises provided the audience does not exceed 500.

  • Unlike live music, deregulation of recorded music does not apply to workplaces.

Schools – new exemption

Exempt from applying for live or recorded music between 8am–11pm on school premises provided that:

  • the audience does not exceed 500, and
  • the organiser gets consent for the performance on the premises from the school concerned

And, any entertainment provided by or on behalf of a school on their own school premises between 8am–11pm.

Hospitals – new exemption

Exempt from applying for live or recorded music between 8am–11pm on hospital premises provided that:

  • the audience does not exceed 500, and
  • the organiser gets consent for the performance on the hospital premises from the healthcare provider concerned.

And, any entertainment provided by or on behalf of a health care provider on their own hospital premises between 8am–11pm.

Community premises

Exempt from applying for live or recorded music between 8am–11pm in a church hall, village hall, community hall, or other similar community premises that is not licensed to sell alcohol provided that:

  • the audience does not exceed 500, and
  • the organiser gets consent for the performance from a person who is responsible for the premises.

Wrestling

  • A contest, exhibition or display of Greco-Roman wrestling, or freestyle wrestling deregulated between 8am–11pm, provided the audience does not exceed 1,000.

Films in community premises

No licence required for not-for-profit film exhibition held in the community premises between 8am–11pm provided that:

  • the audience does not exceed 500, and

  • the organiser gets consent to the screening from a person who is responsible for the premises, and
  • ensures that each screening abides by age classification ratings.

Travelling circuses – new exemption

Any entertainment (excluding films and a boxing or wrestling entertainment) taking place at a travelling circus, provided:

  • it takes place within a moveable structure that accommodates the audience, and

  • that the travelling circus has not been located on the same site for more than 28 consecutive days.

Summary

From 6 April 2015 the following are still licensable:

  • any entertainment activity after 11pm
  • most forms of entertainment activity in the presence of an audience of more than 500 people( with a few exceptions)
  • any sexual entertainment.

Contact

Safer Communities Service (Licensing)

Can't find what you're looking for? Ask us anything