So the people at that church didn't know about the part of the Act that specifically excludes singing as part of a religious service from licensing? To quote from the Act, Schedule 1 Part 3:-

The provision of any entertainment or entertainment facilities-
(a) for the purposes of, or for purposes incidental to, a religious meeting or service, or
(b) at a place of public religious worship,
is not to be regarded as the provision of regulated entertainment for the purposes of this Act.

So the law is actually outstandingly clear on this - there's no confusion in the law at all. And whether the carol service takes place in a church or in the town centre, it's automatically exempt. Carol-singing *not* as part of a religious service though would still be licensable, because it's being done as entertainment.

From the link:-

The churches say they sought guidance from South Norfolk District Council, which indicated a licence was required but that it was too late to apply.

The fault here is clearly with the council in providing crap information. Villan's dead right - there *are* some absolute arseholes running the country - but the location of those arseholes is not what that article suggests. Shallit's Razor:-

"Never attribute to conspiracy what may be adequately explained by stupidity or incompetence."

Graham.