Annex B
THE CONDITIONS TO BE ATTACHED TO GRANTS OF APPROVAL
The County Council must attach the following standard conditions from Schedule 2 of the Regulations to any approval. Proceedings means the solemnization of a marriage or the registration of a civil partnership and does not refer to any other activities on the premises.
1. The holder of the approval must ensure that there is at all times an individual with responsibility for ensuring compliance with these conditions ("the responsible person") and that the responsible person's occupation, seniority, position of responsibility in relation to the premises, or other factors (his "qualification"), indicate that he is in a position to ensure compliance with these conditions.
2. The responsible person or, in his absence, an appropriately qualified deputy appointed by him, shall be available on the premises for a minimum of one hour prior to and throughout each of the proceedings.
3. The holder must notify the County Council -
(a) of his name and address immediately upon his becoming the holder of an approval under Regulation 7(2); and
(b) of the name, address and qualification of the responsible person immediately upon the appointment of a new responsible person.
4. The holder must notify the County Council immediately of any change to any of the following -
(a) the layout of the premises, as shown in the plan submitted with the approved application, or in the use of the premises;
(b) the name or full postal address of the approved premises;
(c) the description of the room or rooms in which proceedings are to take place;
(d) the name or address of the holder of the approval; and
(e) the name, address or qualification of the responsible person.
5. The approved premises must be made available at all reasonable times for inspection by the County Council.
6. A suitable notice stating that the premises have been approved for the proceedings and identifying and giving directions to the room in which the proceedings are to take place must be displayed at each public entrance to the premises for one hour prior to and throughout the proceedings.
7. No food or drink may be sold or consumed in the room in which proceedings take place for one hour prior to or during those proceedings.
8. All proceedings must take place in a room which was identified as one to be used for that purpose on the plan submitted with the approved application.
9. The room in which the proceedings are to take place must be separate from any other activity on the premises at the time of the proceedings.
10. The arrangements for and content of the proceedings must meet with the prior approval of the Superintendent Registrar of the district, or the registration authority of the area, as the case may be, in which the approved premises are situated.
11. (1) Any proceedings conducted on approved premises shall not be religious in nature.
(2) In particular, the proceedings shall not -
(a) include extracts from an authorised religious marriage service or from sacred religious texts;
(b) be led by a minister of religion or other religious leader;
(c) involve a religious ritual or series of rituals;
(d) include hymns or other religious chants; or
(e) include any form of worship.
(3) But the proceedings may include readings, songs or music that contain an incidental reference to a god or deity in an essentially non-religious context.
(4) For this purpose, any material used by way of introduction to, in any interval between parts of, or by way of conclusion to the proceedings shall be treated as forming part of the proceedings.
12. Public access to any proceedings in approved premises must be permitted without charge.
13. Any reference to the approval of premises on any sign or notice, or on any stationery or publication, or within any advertisement may state that the premises have been approved by the County Council as a venue for marriage in pursuance of Section 26(1)(bb) of the Marriage Act 1949, and the formation of civil partnerships under Section 6(3A)(a) of the Civil Partnership Act 2004 but shall not state or imply any recommendation of the premises or its facilities by the County Council, the Registrar General or any of the officers or employees of either of them.
14. If a change of name to the approved premises occurs after the issue of the certificate for marriage or the civil partnership document, but before the proceedings, the former name of the approved premises as recorded in the certificate for marriage or the civil partnership document shall remain valid for its duration for the purpose of the proceedings.
In addition to the above, the Lancashire County Council has imposed the following conditions:
15. The Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 require providers of goods, facilities and services to ensure that they are not treating their customers unfairly on the grounds of sexual orientation. If the holder of an approval is deemed by the Local Authority to discriminate on the grounds of the sexuality of the couple the Council reserves the right to revoke the approval.
16. There must be adequate access for disabled persons to the room or rooms in which the proceedings are to take place.
17. A separate private room must be available to enable registration staff to question the parties to the proceedings confidentially prior to the proceedings taking place.
18. Toilet facilities commensurate with the capacity of the room or rooms in which proceedings are to take place must be available.
19. The seating and seating capacity of the room or rooms in which proceedings are to take place must comply with any requirements of the County Council.
20. Reserved car parking must be available at the premises for the Superintendent Registrar, a Registrar and one other vehicle.
21. Any voice amplification system or system for the playing of recorded music shall be under the control of registration staff during the course of the proceedings.
22. The County Council may from time to time impose conditions as to fire prevention, means of escape in case of fire, and general health and safety, which shall form part of these general conditions.
23. Adequate furniture and lighting shall be available to the satisfaction of the County Council in all parts of the premises to be used in connection with the proceedings.
24. A free telephone should be available to enable registration staff to make official calls.
25. Neither registration staff nor the County Council shall have any responsibility whatsoever with regard to any contravention of the right of copyright or performance in respect of readings or music used at the proceedings.
26. If any of the approved rooms have a bar, that bar shall be suitably screened off for one hour before and during any proceedings taking place in that room.