Service Apply for a sex establishment licence
Please read our information about sex establishment licences and our sex establishment licensing policy before you apply.
How to apply
You can apply for a sex establishment licence online.
You'll need to give:
- your details
- if you are applying as a business - details of any directors, partners, owners
- details of all managers
- details of the premises and the type of establishment it is
- your opening hours
- whether you or anyone involved with the application has been convicted of any crime or offence
- a detailed plan of the premises. This will need to be a scale plan of 1:100. You can find out more about this in appendix B of our sex establishment policy.
Notices
You must put up public notices at the premises giving details of the application.
A copy of that notice must also be advertised in a local newspaper.
More information and a template to follow are in our guidance for the display of notices for sex establishments.
Payments
You'll be charged a fee for this application. Please make sure you are aware of how much this will cost.
Data Protection
Any personal information which you provide will be held and used by East Devon District Council for the purpose of processing your application for a sex establishment licence and administering any associated licence . Your information may be shared within East Devon District Council for the purposes of carrying out our lawful functions and will be provided to the relevant responsible authorities associated with the application. Otherwise your personal information will not be disclosed to anybody outside East Devon District Council without your permission, unless there is a lawful reason to do so, for example disclosure is necessary for crime prevention or detection purposes. Your information will be held securely and will not be retained for any longer than is necessary. There are a number of rights available to you in relation to our use of your personal information, depending on the reason for processing. Further detail about our use of your personal information can be found in the relevant Privacy Notice.
Start the journey
More info about the journey
You'll need a credit or debit card.
You'll need a 1:100 plan of the premises.
You'll need to put up public notices at the premises and advertise a copy of the notice in a local newspaper.
When we receive your application we'll check it to make sure it's been completed correctly. We'll telephone you if there is anything else we need.
As soon as we have the complete application and all the information we need, we'll accept it and there will then be 28 days (from the day after we accept the application) when anyone can make a representation.
If no representations are received your application will be granted and we'll send you your licence in the post.
If representations are received then a hearing must be heard before members of the licensing sub-committee unless all parties agree this isn't necessary.
After the hearing we'll write to you with the decision.
What you can do if you haven't heard from us
It is in the public interest that we process your application before deciding if it can be granted. This means that you'll need to wait for our decision before you start operating. If after 3 months you haven't heard from us please contact us by email or telephone for an update.
What you can do if your application is unsuccessful
Please contact us in the first instance:
The Licensing Manager, East Devon District Council, Blackdown House, Border Road, Heathpark Industrial Estate, Honiton EX14 1EJ
Tel: 01404 515616
Appeals
If an application for a sex establishment licence is refused you can appeal. You can also appeal any decision to:
- impose conditions on the licence
- revoke the licence
All appeals must be made to a magistrates court within 21 days of notice of the decision:
North and East Devon Magistrates Court, Southernhay Gardens, Exeter, EX1 1UH
Tel: 01392 415300