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Useful Information for Premises and Events

Government confirms extended licensing hours for the FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026

Extended hours for Home Nation matches

Under the proposed Licensing Hours Order, pubs will be allowed to extend opening hours for the sale of alcohol on the premises during the later stages of the tournament, provided a Home Nation team (England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland) is playing. The extensions will apply as follows:

  • Until 1am for any quarter‑final, semi‑final, or the final if the match kicks off at or before 9pm (BST)
  • Until 2am for any quarter‑final with a 10pm (BST) kick‑off
  • Matches starting after 10pm (BST) will not fall within the scope of this relaxation and will therefore require a TEN if premises wish to open later

Temporary Event Notices still required for other matches

While the relaxation covers key late‑stage fixtures, the Government has been clear that premises will still need to submit a TEN for any other matches where they wish to extend their hours. However, ministers have indicated that options are being explored to extend opening hours for additional Home Nation games, signalling that further flexibility may follow as the tournament approaches.

Fire Safety

If you manage a licensed premises or licensed event you will have legal duties as the Responsible Person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, 

Key Responsibilities 

  • Fire Risk Assessment: Regularly review and update your fire risk assessment. 
  • Occupancy:  Ensure that you know the fire safety safe occupancy limit of your premises or event. 
  • Fire Precautions: Ensure alarms, extinguishers, emergency lighting, and escape routes are in place and maintained. 
  • Emergency Planning: Have a clear evacuation plan and make sure staff know what to do.
  • Training: Provide staff with fire safety training and refresh it regularly.
  • Maintenance and Records:  keep logs of checks, drills and maintenance. 

Important Points

  • Candles, sparklers, or pyrotechnics or anything with a naked flame: Take particular care when using  these items and include them in your fire risk assessment. Avoid using indoor pyrotechnics indoors unless approved and managed safely with the correct control measures in place.  We advise that any indoor fireworks or pyrotechnic products should be purchased from licensed retailers, classified as Category F1, and display the required CE or UKCA conformity markings.
  • Chimneys:  Ensure they are kept clean and swept regularly, and this is documented as part of your fire risk assessment with any works certified
  • Drapes, materials, soundproof foam:  Ensure that these, or similar, if used within your premises, have the correct fire resistance, and this is documented in your fire risk assessment with any certification kept. 

 

There is more information on fire safety for businesses, including a fact sheet on Occupancy Calculations for Licensed Premises on the Gloucestershire County Council’s website  Fire safety law and guidance for businesses

 

Spiking   

Drink spiking is when someone puts drugs or alcohol into a person’s drink without their consent. It can include putting alcohol into a non-alcoholic drink, adding extra alcohol to an alcoholic drink or slipping prescription or illegal drugs into an alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink. It can be difficult to tell whether a drink has been spiked, as substances used for spiking usually have no taste, odour or colour.

Needle spiking is when someone injects a victim with a substance using a hypodermic needle (or other form of administration such as a combi-pen). 

National figures suggest that spiking has increased over the past 4 years LGA Guidance on Spiking.

Steps to prevent spiking could include:

  • Staff training on identifying risks of, and spotting spiking.
  • Staff training on how to support a person who is vulnerable due to the effects of drugs or alcohol. 
  • Effective CCTV
  • Membership of Stroud Safe Scheme
  • Ability to provide a safe space within the venue for customers who are vulnerable due to the effects of alcohol or drugs.
  • Offering various anti-drink spiking products to customers. 
  • Recording all potential spiking incidents and reporting spiking incidents to the police immediately. 

There is free training for hospitality staff and venues on spiking from the Home Office

Ask Angela   

Ask for Angela is the national scheme that helps anyone who is feeling vulnerable on a night out to get the support they need. Staff at a night-time economy venue are trained to understand and respond to anyone who asks for Angela. This may include calling security, taking the person to a safe space or helping them leave the premises unnoticed. 

Stroud District Council encourages adoption of the scheme by operators of bars, pubs and other night-time venues where people meet up. We also encourage adoption by operators of cafes, restaurants  and other hospitality venues.

For  information and training material see the Ask Angela website

Safe Space Scheme         

The Safe Space Scheme is a a community of businesses that provide a safe and secure place for women to go if they are being followed or feel under threat in any way. Businesses that sign up will display the Safe Space Logo which shows that any female feeling under threat is welcomed in immediately with no questions asked until the threat has passed. There is more info, a training video and links to apply to join the scheme here Safe Space Scheme - Safe Space Scheme

Night Angels    

The Night Angels are a service run by women that patrol Stroud Town Centre on Friday and Saturday nights and can give assistance to people that might find themselves needing help. You might spot them out and about wearing pink high vis jackets.  They work closely with the emergency services and the local night time economy . 

Martyns Law  

Martyn's Law is UK wide legislation that places a requirement on those responsible for certain publicly accessible locations to consider the threat from terrorism and implement appropriate and proportionate mitigation measures.

For more information see our webpage on Martyns Law

What to do with fake ID   

The following advice has been agreed between the Gloucestershire Licensing Authorities and the Police

Staff at licensed premises  have no formal powers to seize ID however if the individual wishes to surrender the ID, then we advise that you retain it for 28 days.  If the individual returns with suitable ID or proof, then it can be handed back. After the 28 days it can be destroyed.  Please do not return ID to any police station.

 We suggest that any ID that is retained is recorded in the premises incident book and when returned (details of who to)/destroyed. 

We would suggest that a poster stating that the ID would be destroyed after 28 days is displayed and that this is also stated to the person on surrender.

Reduce, reuse and recycle   

Licence holders should consider applying the principles of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle to minimize waste and potential littering issues. This could include:

  • Eliminating single use, throw away items, for example replacing single use cutlery, cups, plates or containers with reusable alternative
  • Encouraging patrons to bring their own reusable cups or providing them for purchase or deposit
  • Having a refuse and recycling plan to ensure that there are receptacles for customers to put rubbish and that recyclables/reusables can be appropriately separated out to be recycled or reused

Simpler recycling legislation

There is new legislation coming in which places responsibility on businesses to recycle and food plus recyclables such as metal, plastics, paper and glass that they generate from their business. There is more information here

Ban on single use plastics

No business –  including retailers, takeaways, food vendors or part of the hospitality industry – is permitted  to sell or supply single-use plastic cutlery, balloon sticks,  polystyrene cups or food containers in England. 

This includes: 

  • all types of single-use plastic – including biodegradable, compostable and recycled plastic 
  • items wholly or partly made from plastic – including items with a plastic coating or lining, plastic additives, and plastic as part of a material mix, such as using plastic to bond layers of non-plastic materials 

Businesses can supply single-use plastic plates, bowls and trays if either of the following apply: 

  • you are supplying them to another business 
  • the items are packaging, pre-filled or filled at the point of sale 

Examples of this type of packaging include: 

  • a pre-filled salad bowl or ready meal packaged in a tray
  • a salad bowl filled by the customer in store 
  • a plate filled at the counter of an establishment selling ready-to-consume food, such as a takeaway, bakery, canteen or public house
  • a tray used to deliver food 

There is more information on the links below

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