Skegness Town Council

Street Licencing

Skegness Town Council consider and issue licenses for charitable street collection of cash.

Each application will be checked to ascertain if it is from a Category A, B or C Charity or protected charity.

Definition of a Category A Charity:
A Charity which has a base in Skegness or works within the town and provides a direct, regular (at least annually) and ongoing benefit to the local residents.

Definition of a Category B Charity:
A Charity based outside of Skegness that does not provide a consistent or direct regular (at least annually) benefit to the local residents but is of some benefit to the local area and its' residents.

Definition of a Category C Charity:
A Charity based outside of Skegness that provides no benefit to the area or its' residents.

Please read our policy below for full details.

Licences Granted

Below is list of all street collection licences granted:

Busking

Provided you follow a number of rules and do not cause a nuisance then you will be able to busk without the need for permission from East Lindsey District Council or Skegness Town Council. This page sets out in detail the rules you will need to follow as well as explaining this authority's stance in relation to busking.

You will not need a licence to busk (provided you follow the rules set out below).

Under the street trading rules you cannot sell items on the street.

If you wish to undertake a charitable street collection then you will need to obtain a charitable street collection permit from Skegness Town Council.

Musical entertainment and busking are generally considered to create a positive atmosphere in a town centre and can enhance the shopping experience. That said, prolonged entertainment at an inappropriate volume can make it difficult for surrounding businesses to operate and ultimately cause nuisance to those who work and shop in the town centre.

With regard to the Licensing Act 2003 the matter of whether musical busking is licensable has not been tested in the courts and so opinion appears to vary from one licensing authority to another. The views expressed by East Lindsey District Council in relation to the 2003 Act are those of this licensing authority only and should not be applied to other authorities without consultation with them.

In most circumstances, busking, in the sense in which the word is normally used, will not be licensable under the terms of the 2003 Act. This is because musical busking is usually 'incidental' to other activities, such as shopping, or the premises where the music is played will not have been provided for busking to take place. The busker is not an influencing factor in the public's wish to use the street or space. This view is supported by the information and guidance on the DCMS's website. There may, however, be instances that fall outside this exemption, for example, where a particular space is actively promoted as being a music venue and people are encouraged to attend the space in order to be entertained by a busker or buskers as part of an audience.

Until such time as the law is clarified or alternative guidance is received the view that musical busking provided in the street is normally to be considered as incidental to the main purpose of the public area (i.e. the passage and re-passage of members of the public). In being incidental the musical entertainment will be exempt from the need to hold an authorisation under the 2003 Act.

Although no licence is required, buskers should ensure that they do not play music at a volume, which causes nuisance to nearby residents or businesses. By virtue of the relevant noise and statutory nuisance legislation noise in the street from musical instruments may be a statutory nuisance and the Local Authority is able to take legal action to abate the nuisance and prohibit or restrict its recurrence; this may include the seizure of musical instruments and amplification equipment. With this in mind we advise the individual concerned to keep volume at an acceptable level.

Generally

• Don't obstruct the flow of pedestrians. Remember crowds can cause this problem when gathering to listen or watch.

• Move on to another pitch after an hour, which will help to prevent complaints from local shopkeepers.

• Move on, or stop if required to do so by a Police Officer.

• Don't make use of street furniture such as lamp posts, public seats, etc. for your performance.

• Avoid sites near to public telephone boxes, post boxes or doorways, as this will make it difficult for these to be used properly.