Guidance for Indoor Sports Entertainment Licence
Guidance on Applying for Indoor Sports Entertainment Licence
Before lodging your application for Indoor Sports Entertainment Licence please ensure that you have read the following guidance.
When does premises require an Indoor Sports Entertainment Licence?
Premises within the Glasgow City Council boundary that are used as a place of public sports entertainment require an Indoor Sports Entertainment Licence issued under section 41A the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.
"Public sports entertainment" is defined as any sporting event to which the public are invited as spectators.
The 1982 Act provides an exemption to the requirement for an Indoor Sports Entertainment Licence in respect of premises where the provision of sports entertainment is not the principle purpose of the premises and the premises is not a Sports Complex. In such cases a separate Public Entertainment Licence may be required for the premises.
Who should Apply?
An individual, company or organisation responsible for operating a premise that provides "public sports entertainment" should apply for a licence. If a company or organisation applies for a licence they must provide details of an individual who will be responsible for the day to day management of the premises.
An individual applying for a licence who does not intend to be responsible for the day to day management of the premises can name another individual as their day to day manager.
Potential applicants are advised to take their own independent legal advice if they are in any doubt as to who should be detailed on their application. In particular applicants should note that a day to day manager will be considered a joint licence holder and, should that manager leave during the currency of a licence, there will be implications for the licence.
What are the minimum requirements for applying?
Before you can apply for an Indoor Sports Entertainment Licence you must meet these minimum requirements:
- Any individual named on the application form must be at least 18 years or age; and
- Any individual named as day to day manager must be able to work legally in the UK
Are there different types of applications?
Depending on your circumstances you can apply for one of three types of application.
If you do not currently hold a licence with this Council you can apply for the following:
- Grant
If you do not currently hold a licence you can make a Grant application. This type of licence lasts for three years. You will not be licensed to provide public sports entertainment until the licence is granted. - Temporary
You can apply for a temporary licence that lasts for a period of no more than 6 weeks. You will not be licensed to provide public sports entertainment until the licence is granted.
If you currently hold a licence with this Council you can apply to renew the licence before it expires.
- Renewal
Your renewal application must be lodged no later than the expiry date of your current licence. You cannot submit your renewal application more than nine months before the expiry of the licence. As long as your renewal is lodged before the expiry of your current licence you can continue to operate whilst the application is being considered.
If you forget to renew your licence or are unable to do so due to unforeseen circumstances you should contact the Licensing Section as soon as you become aware your licence has expired.
How do you apply?
To apply for a Licence you should complete the application form and submit it to the Licensing Section with the relevant fee.
Your application must be accompanied by the required supporting documents set out in part 7 of the guidance.
You can submit your application by Email or by post to the following address:
Licensing Section
Glasgow City Council
City Chambers
George Square
Glasgow G2 1DU
We do not recommend that you send a renewal application to us by post. If you do, you must ensure that it is lodged with us before the expiry date of your current licence.
How much is the application fee?
The current application fees are detailed in the Licensing Section Fees and Charges document. The fee is payable when the application is lodged and is non-refundable.
Payment for your application should be made by BACS Transfer (electronic banking) to the Licensing Board Account.
When making payments please quote your licence reference number if you are a current licence holder or quote ISEL/Name of Premise or Address if you are a new licence holder as detailed below:-
Account Name: Glasgow City Council - Licensing
Account No. 00116224
Sort Code: 83-44-00
Reference: ISEL/Name of Premise or address e.g. SOSG/"Glasgow City Council" or "231 George Street, G1 1X"
What document needs to accompany the application?
You may need to provide additional documentation dependent on the type of application you are submitting. Temporary / Grant Application: Six sets of plans showing the layout of the premises and drawn to a suitable scale (usually 1:100). Renewal: No additional documentation is required.
How will the application be processed?
A 28 day consultation period begins on receipt of your application. For grant or renewal applications, any person can object to your application during the consultation period. For temporary applications, only the statutory consultees can provide comment.
For grant or renewal applications, on the day your application is lodged, you must display the relevant site notice (included in the application pack) at or near the premises for a period of 21 days. If the notice is taken down or defaced you must take steps to immediately replace the notice. At the end of the 21 days you should remove the notice and return the relevant Certificate or Compliance to the Licensing section to confirm the notice was displayed correctly. If you do not follow this part of the process, your application may be refused. Applicants for temporary licence are not required to display the site notice.
During the consultation period your application will be sent to the following:
- Police Scotland
The Police may object or make a representation to the application if they do not consider you or anyone else named on the application to be a 'fit and proper person' to hold a licence. The Police may also charge you with an offence if you have made a false statement on your application form or failed to declare convictions. - Scottish Fire and Rescue
Scottish Fire and Rescue will arrange to inspect the premises and provide the Licensing section with a report. - Environment Health
The council's environmental health team will arrange to inspect the premises and provide the Licensing section with a report. - Building Control
The council's Building Control team will arrange to inspect the premises and provide the Licensing section with a report. - Local Councillors and Community Council
A notice of the application will be sent to the local Councillors and Community Council for the premises. The notice will provide details of the application and advise them of the last date for making an objection or representation.
Once the 28 day consultation period is complete, we will review your application.
If no adverse comments have been received, your certificate of compliance confirming display of the site notice has been returned and there are no other issues with your application, then it will be considered 'straightforward' and placed on a list of applications to be granted. We will then contact you, in writing, once the application has been granted.
If there is a problem with the application such as a police objection we will refer the application to a meeting of the Licensing and Regulatory Committee for a decision. If this happens you will receive a Recorded Delivery letter requesting your attendance at the meeting and explaining the reasons why your application is being called before Committee. Although you are not legally required to attend it is recommended that you do so. We will contact you, in writing, after the meeting to advise you of the Committee's decision.
How long will it take?
The Council is allowed nine months to consider your application but we aim to deal with all applications as soon as possible. It normally takes about 3 to 4 months to deal with most applications.
Applications which are not straightforward (e.g. Police Scotland object to the application) have to be referred to the Licensing and Regulatory Committee and normally take 4 to 6 months to process. This is due to the volume of applications that the Committee can consider at each meeting.
What happens after my application is granted?
You will receive a letter advising that your application has been granted. The letter will include your licence and explain any conditions or requirements you are subject to - for example the licence may have been granted subject to your compliance with Environmental Health conditions.
What happens if my application is refused?
You will receive a letter advising that your application has been refused. You have the right to appeal the decision at Glasgow Sheriff Court (unless your application was for a temporary licence).
An applicant wishing to appeal normally requires to first obtain a written Statement of Reasons for the decision. This can be obtained on written request to the Licensing Section within 28 days of the decision. The Council will give written reasons for its decision within 10 days of being requested to do so.
The Council cannot provide guidance on making an appeal; if guidance is required you should consider taking your own independent legal advice or, alternatively, you can contact the Sheriff Clerk at Glasgow Sheriff Court, 1 Carlton Place, Glasgow, G5 9DA.
Are there conditions attached to the licence?
Yes. There are standard conditions attached to all Indoor Sports Entertainment Licences. A copy of these conditions is provided with this guidance. As a licence holder you will be expected to comply with every condition. Failure to do so could result in the Council suspending your licence.
Links
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Am I guaranteed to be refused because I have certain convictions?
The fact that you have certain convictions does not prevent you applying nor does it guarantee that you will be refused. Every application is considered on its own merit. - My licence expires on a weekend or public holiday, what should I do?
Your licence ceases to have effect unless you lodge a renewal application on or before the expiry date shown on your licence. This applies even if the expiry date shown on the licence is a weekend or a public holiday such as 31 December. If you find yourself in this situation, ensure you lodge your application, at the latest, on the last working day prior to the licence expiry.
Further Information
If you have any further questions about the application process the Council's Licensing Team will be happy to assist you.
Please note that whilst the Licensing Team can provide guidance, the team cannot offer you legal advice. You can contact us by Email.
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