Southwark Council's licensing department confirmed today that they require buskers to apply for a Temporary Event Notice under the new licensing laws. This despite the difficulty of providing a precise address for the busking location, and despite the fact that only 12 such permits are allowed per year per premises (total annual cost to the busker: £252).

I thought it might be nice to support the buskers. Especially since the government specifically said in the run up to the Act that busking would not be affected.

So I have written to Southwark Council asking when various events on their website applied for and were granted licences. You often find councils have not licensed streets for parades for example. Interestingly they have a huge event in September which will need a licence on the area between Westminster Bridge and Tower Bridge which may be the area where they are asking buskers to have licences.

See:


Can I suggest anyone else who believes this Act is iniquitous, and who finds it strange that it needs 186 pages of guidance six months after coming into being to likewise use the Freedom of Information Act creatively.