Home | Adult Entertainment Licence

An annual licence is required by sex establishments, including sex shops, sex cinemas, and sexual entertainment venues.

Information on the different types of Adult Entertainment Licence applications can be found in the dropdown list below.

There are currently no licensed sex establishments.

Review of our Sex Establishments Policy

View the consultation for our Statement of Licensing Policy for Sex Establishments

New / Renew Application

The process in which an application is made, includes advertising a notice of the application in the local press and displaying a notice outside the premises for a specific time period to give passersby the opportunity to comment by a statutory closing date. When considering an application for a 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.

Once an application has been received an appointment will be made to carry out an inspection.

Who is eligible?

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

Regulation summary

For a summary of the regulation relating to this licence please use the link under External Links to the right of this page.

How will my application be evaluated?

Applications must be on the prescribed form and accompanied by the appropriate fee. You will be required to give public notice of your application by publishing a notice in a local newspaper. The notice should appear no later than 7 days after the date of the application. In addition, you will be required to display a notice on or near the premises for 21 days beginning on the date of the application which can be conveniently read by the public. When considering an application for a sex establishment licence the Council may consider the criteria above.

What happens if my application is not processed within the timescales stated?
Tacit consent does not apply. It is in the public interest that the Council must process your application before it can be granted. If you have not heard from the Council within a reasonable period, please contact the Licensing Team.