Making an application

Policy statement

Cheltenham Borough Council has adopted a policy statement on the licensing and regulation of sexual entertainment venues (SEV).  It is strongly suggested that any applicant reads the policy before making an application.

The council has resolved that it would not be appropriate to license SEV outside the adopted core shopping area (see page 10 of the policy) and accordingly the number of permitted SEVs outside the adopted core shopping area is zero.

Inside the adopted core shopping area the council has resolved that it will not set a limit on the number of permitted SEVs and each application will be determined on a case to case basis against the policy criteria.

To make an application, you must submit:

  • a completed application form;
  • a plan of the premises to which the application relates showing, amongst other things, all entrances and exits to and from the premises and parts used in common with any other building;
  • details of how the premises lie in relation to the street (see policy 6.2);
  • a site plan scale 1:1250;
  • drawings showing the front elevation as existing and as proposed to a scale of (1:100) (See policy 6.2); and
  • the fee.

Once your application has been submitted and approved, a notice must be displayed at or on the premises to which the application relates for a period of not less than 21 consecutive days beginning on the day after the application was given to the council, where it can be conveniently read from the exterior of the premises.

Where the premises cover an area of more than 50 square metres, a further identical notice must be displayed every 50 metres along the external perimeter of the premises next to any highway.

The notice must be on pale blue paper sized A4 or larger and printed legibly in black ink or typed in black in a font size equal to or larger than 16.

The notice must state:

  • details of the application and activities that it is proposed will be carried on or from the premises;
  • the full name of the applicant;
  • the postal address of the premises, or in the case where there is no postal address, a description of the premises sufficient to enable the location and extent of the premises to be identified;
  • the date, being 28 days after that on which the application is given to the council, by which objections may be made to the council and stating that the objections should be made in writing; and
  • that it is an offence knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement in connection with an application and the maximum fine (£20,000) for which a person is liable on summary conviction for the offence.

A similar notice must also be published in a local newspaper or similar document within seven days of giving the application to the council.

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
  • Application evaluation process
    Fees will be payable for applications and conditions may be attached.

Will tacit consent apply?

No. It is in the public interest that the authority must process your application before it can be granted. If you have not heard from the local authority within a reasonable period, please contact it. You can do this online if you applied through the UK Welcomes service or use the contact details below.

Before making an application, we recommend that you read our guidance notes.

You can make an application online or by downloading and completing the application form.

Determination

All applications for the grant of a new sexual entertainment venue licence will be referred to a licensing committee for determination to take into account the criteria set as out in section 3 of the policy with regards to the character, relevant locality and the appropriate number of sexual entertainment venue for the relevant locality.

In determining the application, the licensing committee will have regard to this policy statement, the application itself and any objections that may have been made. In all cases, each application will be determined on its own merits.