Questions, answered honestly

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, named for Martyn Hett, one of the 22 people murdered in the Manchester Arena attack in 2017. It requires venues where 200 or more people can reasonably be expected at once to have procedures ready for a terrorist attack. It received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025; venue duties are expected to commence in Spring 2027.

Standard tier: 200–799 people (including staff and volunteers) reasonably expected at the same time, from time to time. Enhanced tier: 800+. Under 200: out of scope. Places of worship, childcare and schools/colleges stay standard tier even above 800. Our free checker walks you through it in two minutes.

Yes. The count includes everyone reasonably expected to be present at the same time — customers, staff, contractors and volunteers. If your assessment method (like ticket sales) doesn’t include staff, you must add them on top.

No — and this catches people out in both directions. Fire safe-occupancy is a ceiling, not your expected attendance. The official example is a gallery with fire capacity 850 whose realistic peaks are 500 people: standard tier, not enhanced. Use your genuine busiest foreseeable occasions.

At the standard tier, no — there is no legal requirement to produce a document (statutory guidance para 7.32). But the same paragraph says you should write your procedures down, because demonstrating compliance at an SIA inspection without documentation is very difficult. Anyone telling you a written plan is legally mandatory is misquoting the law.

No, no and no. No mandatory training courses (paras 7.51, 7.55), no required equipment or building alterations (para 7.25), and buying any product or service is never mandatory (para 6.7) — including ours. What is required is that everyone with a role in your procedures is made aware of the procedures and their specific role (para 7.51).

Standard tier: civil penalties up to £10,000, plus daily penalties up to £500 for continuing breach of a compliance notice — and breaching one is not a criminal offence at this tier. The £18 million / 5% of revenue figures apply to the enhanced tier only. The Act’s few criminal offences attach to conduct, not tier — chiefly: knowingly or recklessly giving the SIA false or misleading information (section 25), failing to comply with an information notice, or intentionally obstructing an inspector (guidance figure 16).

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is the regulator. Inspections will usually come with at least 72 hours’ written notice; inspectors can view and copy documents (including electronic ones) and ask you to explain them. Enforcement is expected to be advice-led at first, but you need to be able to show your procedures, your occupancy assessment and evidence that staff know their roles.

Still yours. Hiring the hall out doesn’t transfer the legal duty (unless a rare 800+ qualifying event takes control). The guidance expects you to set expectations with hirers and be able to show you did — which is why hirer briefing sheets and hire-agreement wording matter for halls and churches.

It depends who has control, and the guidance’s own example says a tenanted pub where the brewery holds the premises licence makes the brewery the responsible person. Check who holds your licence, and get the division of tasks in writing either way.

The duties are expected to commence Spring 2027, and the SIA has signalled venues should use the run-up to prepare. Sensible order: confirm your tier now (keep a dated record of your method), think through the four procedures for your building, then document and brief staff. Starting early costs nothing; scrambling after commencement is where bad purchases happen.

Planned pricing is £69 per year per premises, with founding members paying less permanently. We launch ahead of commencement. The tier checker is free forever — join the early list and we’ll tell you the moment the service opens.