Busking
The matter of whether
busking is licensable has not been tested in court and so opinion
varies from one licensing authority to another. The views
expressed are those of Dover Licensing Authority and should not be
applied to other authorities without consultation with them.
Music provided in the street
could be considered to be incidental to the main purpose of the
public area i.e. the passage and re-passage of members of the
public. This exemption however would not apply to such
entertainment as fire eating or juggling.
The main point of contention is
then whether or not a street could be said to be provided for the
purposes of entertainment. If it is accepted that the street
is provided for the movement of the public from one area to another
then it cannot be said to have been provided for the purposes of
entertainment and so other regulated entertainment can take place
without the need for a premises licence.
Kent Highways Services currently
holds premises licences for all of the main carnival routes
and it may be that they will permit the use of their licences
on application.
Each case will be determined on
individual merit so performers are advised to contact the Licensing
Team for advice before performing.
Contact the Licensing Section
Telephone: 01304 872295
E-mail: licensing@dover.gov.uk
Post:
Licensing Section
Dover District Council
White Cliffs Business Park
Dover
Kent CT16 3PJ
