Martyn’s Law will be compulsory by April 2027, and it just might affect your Parish Council or village hall. Fortunately, we’ve looked into everything you need to know to ensure your compliance.
What is Martyn’s Law?
Martyn’s Law is the commonly used name for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, which received Royal Assent on 3 April 2025. It’s named in memory of Martyn Hett, one of 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena attack in May 2017.
His mother, Figen Murray, spent years campaigning for better protections at public venues. A campaign that has now become law.
The Act doesn’t mean every village hall needs a security team or metal detectors. What it does mean is that the people responsible for public venues and events need to think carefully about how they’d protect the public in an emergency and ensure a sensible plan is in place.
How does it work?
The law uses a two-tier system based on capacity, so the requirements are proportionate to the venue's size and nature.
Standard Tier: venues with a capacity of 200 to 799
If your venue can hold between 200 and 799 people, you’ll need to:
- Carry out a basic terrorism risk assessment
- Identify what protective measures are appropriate
- Put a plan in place to keep people safe if an incident occurs
Enhanced Tier: venues with a capacity of 800 or more
Large venues face more detailed requirements, including more comprehensive risk assessments, monitoring arrangements, and documented security plans.
Under the threshold: venues with fewer than 200 people
These venues are currently exempt. It’s worth knowing that earlier versions of the legislation set the threshold at 100 people. The final act raised this to 200, meaning many smaller village halls and community rooms will fall entirely outside the scope of the law.
Although there is no legislation requiring you to have a policy, there isn’t anything stopping you from having one that meets the standard tier.
Does this apply to your parish or town council?
It may well do, and it’s worth taking a few minutes to find out.
Parish and town councils often manage or are responsible for a range of public-facing venues, such as town/village halls, community centres, recreation grounds, and event spaces. If any of the venues your council manages can hold 200 or more people, they are likely to fall within the scope of the new legislation.
It’s also worth thinking about the events your council organises or supports. If you run a bonfire night, a village fayre, or a community festival that regularly attracts 200 or more attendees, you may have responsibilities under the new legislation not just as a venue owner but also as an event organiser.
The key question you should be asking is: who is the “duty holder” for a given venue or event?
In many cases, that will be the parish or town council directly. If you’re not sure, it’s worth checking with your county association or NALC.
When does it come into force?
The good news is that there’s no rush to have everything in place immediately. Martyn’s Law won’t be enforced for at least 24 months from April 2025, which means councils have until around spring/summer 2027 before the rules are formally in effect.
This window has been built in deliberately to allow you time to understand what’s required and access guidance, and make sensible preparations without being rushed into unnecessary spending.
What should councils do now?
You don’t need to hire a consultant or spend a significant amount of money at this stage. Instead, here is a straightforward approach for the months ahead.
1. Find out if you’re in scope
Make a list of the venues your council manages and the events you organise. For each one, consider the maximum number of people who could reasonably be present at any one time.
If any come close to or exceed 200, you’re likely in scope.
2. Stay informed
The government hasn’t yet published the exact statutory guidance that will help organisations assess and meet their obligations, but it will. Well before the enforcement date.
Keep an eye on Protect UK for updates and on the HugoFox website, as we’ll provide helpful guidance to keep you in the loop.
3. Use NALC’s free resources
The National Association of Local Councils (NALC), working with the Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC), has set up a dedicated Martyn’s Law Steering Group. They’ve already published practical advice notes covering publicly accessible locations, what clerks should report to their councils, community resilience planning, and business continuity.
These are free and written specifically for parish and town councils, which makes them an excellent starting point.
4. Brief your council
Even if no action is needed right now, it’s worth raising Martyn’s Law at a council meeting so that all councillors are aware of it. This will give everyone time to think about which venues and events might be relevant, and avoids any last-minute scramble closer to the time.
5. Use your website
Once you’ve started developing plans and policies, your council website is the perfect place to share them with the community. Publishing your approach transparently builds public trust and keeps residents informed.
A practical summary
Martyn’s Law is an important piece of legislation, but it’s designed to be manageable. Ultimately, it’s not about making things harder; it’s about putting plans in place to safeguard everyone in the easiest way possible.
For most parish and town councils, the required steps will be straightforward, particularly for smaller venues that fall entirely below the 200-person threshold.
The 2027 enforcement deadline gives councils plenty of time to prepare properly. The most useful thing to do right now is to identify which of your venues and events might be in scope, keep an eye on guidance as it’s published, and raise awareness within your council so no one is caught off guard.