Licensing of Approved Premises

Increasingly, a number of people are looking to use an approved premise as the setting for their wedding, civil partnership or ceremony.

Marriages and civil partnerships must take place in readily identifiable premises. This means that marriages and civil partnerships cannot be held in the open air, in a tent, marquee or other temporary structure and in most forms of transport.

Marriages must be solemnised in premises with open doors, which is interpreted as meaning that the public must have open access to witness the marriage and to make objections either prior to, or during the ceremony. For this reason, a private house is unlikely to be a suitable venue since it would not be known to the public as a marriage venue.

Staffordshire County Council can consider an application for approved premises as a venue for a civil ceremony.

The premises must fulfil the following criteria before approval:

• With regard to their primary use, situation, construction and general repair, the premises must, in the opinion of the Council be an appropriate and dignified venue for the solemnisation of marriages;
• The premises must be regularly available to the public for the solemnisation of marriages;
• Having consulted with the fire authority, the premises must benefit from any fire precautions that may reasonably be required by the Council;
• The premises must make reasonable provision for the health and safety of people employed at or visiting the premises;
•  The premises must have no recent or continuing association with any religion, religious practice or religious persuasion which could be incompatible with the use of the premises for the solemnization of marriages;
• The room (or rooms) in which marriage ceremonies will be solemnized must be identifiable by description as a distinct part of the premises.

The following conditions are attached to the granting of any licence by the Council

• Approved premises must be available for inspection at all reasonable times;
• A suitable notice stating that the premises have been approved for the solemnization of marriages and providing directions to the room in which the ceremony is to take place must be displayed at each public entrance for one hour prior to and throughout the ceremony;
• No food or drink may be sold or consumed in the room in which the marriage ceremony takes place for one hour prior to and during the ceremony;
• All marriage ceremonies must take place in a room that was the one identified as one to be used for the solemnization of marriages on the plan submitted with the approved application;
• The room in which marriages are solemnized must be separate from any other activity on the premises at the time that the ceremony takes place;
• The arrangement of and content of each marriage ceremony must meet with the prior approval of the Registration Officer in the district in which the approved premises are situated;
• Any reading, music, words or performance, which forms part of the marriage ceremony, must be secular in nature.

The premises must also fulfil the following requirements specified by the Council:

• Be accessible to people using wheelchairs and/or pushing prams;
• Have a room in which there is a writing table and three chairs and which is suitable in size to use as a separate room for pre-marriage questioning my the registrar;
• Have toilet facilities that are accessible to people who are disabled;
• Have adequate parking arrangements to include parking for disabled people in the immediate vicinity of the premises;
• Have arrangements in place for the clearance of any confetti;
• Ensure the absence of noise from other activities at the time of the ceremony.

Renewal of approval

The licence holder can apply for the renewal of a licence when the current approval has between six and twelve months left to run. An application for renewal made within this period will extend the current approval until the application has been finally dealt with. A renewal will run from the expiry date of the current approval.

Revocation

The Council may revoke a licence if it is satisfied (After considering representations from the licence holder) that the use or structure of the premises has changed so that any of the requirements cannot be met, or that the holder has failed to comply with one or more of the conditions attached to the approval of the licence.

The Registrar General may direct the Council to revoke an approval if on his opinion after considering the representations of the licence holder that there have been breaches of the law relating to marriage on the approved premises.

When an approval has been revoked, the regulations require that the former holder notifies any couples who had arranged to be married or hold a civil partnership at the premises.

Reviews

An applicant may seek a review by the Council of its decision to refuse to grant and approval, to attach any local conditions, to refuse to renew an approval or to revoke and approval. The review will be carried out by the Council's Insert name committee. The review panel may confirm the decision, rescind it or vary it with the imposition of new or additional conditions.

The Council will charge a fee of insert value for a review of its decision to refuse to grant an approval, to attach local conditions or to refuse to renew an application.

A direction by the Registrar General to revoke an approval is not subject to any review by the Council.

Registration

Details of approved premises will be held for public inspection by the Council. These details will be distributed to all register offices within Staffordshire and to the Registrar General who may periodically circulate the details to all register offices.

How to apply

To apply for an approved premise licence, you must complete the application form which can be downloaded here along with guidance notes

  Application Letter

  Application Form

  Annex A

  Annex B 

  Annex C

You can also request an application form by contacting the Registration Service on 01785 277824

Evidence required

The following evidence is required in support of an application:

• Three copies of the plan of the premises clearly identifying the room(s) in which marriages will be solemnized if approval is granted;
• A copy of the fire certificate currently in force;
• A copy of any licence authorising use of the premises for public entertainment or similar purposes;
• Evidence that the planning authority was consulted to determine whether or not planning consent is required;
• The appropriate fee (please note that this is non refundable in the event that the application is unsuccessful)

Once your application has been accepted and the fee received the Council will arrange for an inspection of the premises to be carried out. Once the inspection has been completed the Council will publish a public notice in the local press to advise members of the public of the pending application. A period of twenty one days will be allowed for any objections to be made.

Once the application has been approved, the licence will be drawn up by the Council's Legal Department and forwarded to you for your retention.

Last Modified: 21/07/2008 09:21:01
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