Contact:
  • Lyneve Thyer
  • Address:
    Lyneve Thyer, Bath and North East Somerset Council, Floor 4, Riverside Office, Temple Street, Keynsham, Bristol BS31 1LA
  • E-mail:
    lyneve_thyer@bathnes.gov.uk
  • Telephone:
    01225 394467
  • Fax:
    N/A
  • Minicom:
    N/A
  • Page Updated:
    27/01/2010
  • Author:
    Anna Fussell
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Approved Premises Licence

View of Bath

 How to become one of our Approved Premises for Civil Ceremonies

  • Would you like to apply for a licence and join our list of approved venues for weddings/civil partnerships?
  • Do you have a venue that would be suitable for such ceremonies?
  • Is your venue secular in nature, of a permanent construction and regularly available to the public for celebratory ceremonies?

The Requirements

There are certain requirements which must be satisfied before a licence may be granted. Some of these are outlined below:

  • The venue must be a permanent structure
  • The premises must be a dignified venue for the proceedings
  • There must be no recent or continuing religious connection with the building.
  • The public must have access to witness the marriage/civil partnership
  • The minimum number of rooms should be two (one for the ceremony and one for confidential interviewing purposes)
  • Only the rooms registered on application (licensed) can be used for civil ceremonies. The numbers of people have to conform to the licence approval.
  • The premises must have public liability insurance and a current fire risk assessment

Once your premises have been approved, the details of your venue will be publicised on the Authority’s web site and would be included in information packs provided to couples requesting information on ceremonies.

The Application Procedure

The application procedure for a licence is very straightforward and advice is available throughout the process.

To request an application pack please contact Lyneve Thyer, Bath and North East Somerset Council, Floor 4, Riverside Office, Temple Street, Keynsham, Bristol BS31 1LA or e-mail lyneve_thyer@bathnes.gov.uk or telephone 01225 394467.

Alternatively you may download the application form as a pdf file. It is located at the bottom of this page along with the accompanying annexes and checklist.

The application pack consists of the formal application and guidance notes relating to the application.

The content of these documents can be viewed by clicking on the highlighted link.

 

The Fees

The current fee to licence an approved premises is £1,300.

Renewal of a licence is offered at a reduced rate of £1,000.

Once an application fee has been accepted and costs have been incurred, no refund will be made.

An application form can only be used in respect of one property but may include more than one room within that property. If there are other properties which it is felt may be suitable for the holding of civil ceremonies, separate application forms would need to be submitted (incurring separate fees).

The licence runs for 3 years from the date of the grant of approval.

The process

The process starts on receipt of a fully completed application form which needs to be submitted with the appropriate fee to Lyneve Thyer, Bath and North East Somerset Council, Floor 4, Riverside Office, Temple Street, Keynsham, Bristol BS31 1LA (including three copies of a plan of the premises showing the room(s) in which it is intended that marriages/civil partnerships will take place).

Applicants are responsible for checking with the local planning authority whether their premises need additional planning permission for the purposes of holding civil ceremonies. If planning permission is required a copy of the relevant permission will need to be produced for inspection on application.

The premises will be inspected for suitability before approval is granted (usually by the Superintendent Registrar). Also the premises must satisfy the local authority on fire precautions and health and safety provisions, therefore, an inspection may be required by both the Fire Officer and an Environmental Health Officer.

A Public Notice must be published in a local newspaper to advise of the application with a 3 week period for anyone wishing to object to the granting of the proposed licence. If objections are submitted these have to be considered by the Authority and will be the subject of investigation. Applicants and objectors will be kept informed of any relevant decisions.

Approval, if granted, will be for a three year period (subject to revocation) and a renewal application can be submitted anytime during the last year of the current licence (preferably at least 3 months before the expiry date of the existing licence).

If successful, the applicant will be the holder of the approval. Any change on ownership of the premises will also change the holder of the approval. Details of any such change and any change to the premises or responsible person must be notified to the Authority as soon as possible.

All applications, providing they meet the laid down application criteria, will be processed. If after due process, the Authority is not able to grant the licence, no refund of the fee will be made.

If an additional room(s) to an existing approval is added during the three year period applicants must treat this as a new licence application (new fee) or opt for an early renewal where additional rooms can be added (reduced renewal rate).

For information regarding the Renewal of a Licence please click on the highlighted link.