Sex establishments must be licensed by us.

A sex establishment is either a sex shop,  cinema or a sexual entertainment venue. 

A sex shop is any premise where articles are sold (to a significant degree), which can be used in connection with, or to promote, sexual activity.

A sex cinema is any premise used (to a significant degree) for showing films that are concerned primarily with, or relate to, or are intended to stimulate sexual activity.

A sexual entertainment venue is a premise where relevant entertainment is provided before a live audience for the financial gain of the organiser or the entertainer.

Relevant entertainment is any live performance or any live display of nudity, which is of such a nature that it is provided, soley or principally, for the purpose of sexually stimulating any member of the audience.

The Council's  Policy for Sexual Entertainment Venues can be downloaded from this page.

Apply for a sex establishment licence

To apply for a sex establishment licence you must:

• advertise notice of the application in the local newspaper not more than 7 days after the application is made
• display a notice outside the premise in a position where it can be easily read for a period of 21 continuous days to give local residents the opportunity to comment.

Cost

Grant      £8,000

Renewal  £4,000 (payments may be made in instalments in which case a charge of £10.00 per payment is made)

Transfer  £2,000

Variation  £4000 

Application form

You can download the application form for grant/renewal/transfer and variation of a sex shop, sex cinema or sexual entertainment licence on the right hand side of this page.

Premises display notice

You can download the application display notice for a new sex establishment licence and the application display notice for a variation of a sex establishment licence on the right hand side of this page.

Press notice

You can download the press notice for new sex establishment licence and the press notice for variation of a sex establishment licence on the right hand side of this page.

Send completed forms to the Licensing & Regulatory Services.

You must ensure that all legal requirements involved in an application are fully complied with.

Conditions

You can download the standard conditions for sex establishment licences on the right hand side of this page.

We will use the following criteria when considering your application:

• your suitability
• whether you are a 'front' for someone else
• the location and situation of the premise in relation to other premises in the area
• whether the number of sex establishments in that locality is equal to, or exceeds the number that we consider appropriate for the area.

We will consider any objections to your application.

If you are aggrieved by a refusal to be granted a licence, or by any condition to which the licence is subject, you may appeal to the Magistrates Court. An appeal against a decision made by the Magistrates Court may be appealed to the Crown Court.

You are commiting an offence and could be fined between £1,000 and £20,000 if you:

• operate a sex establishment without a licence
• fail to comply with a licence condition
• admit anyone on to the premise under the age of 18

You can buy copies of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 from Her Majesty’s Stationery Office if you need further information.