Thanks to Pete Shaw.
This from The Church Times.

'Pay to play' licence could cost local churches dear
by Rachel Harden.

THE government proposes making parish churches buy licences to put on concerts that are not considered to be worship. If the Licensing Bill goes through, it could cost the Church of England at least £2.6 million a year.

The Bill, which had its second reading this week, aims to regulate the whole licensing system. Churches and cathedrals would have to pay to stage concerts and other community events, if they put on more than five a year. Local authorities would grant licences only if the churches conformed to fire and safety measures, which could be costly.

The fee for the licence would be left to the discretion of the local authority. Churches in London currently have to apply for a licence, but there is no charge for this.

On Tuesday, the Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Richard Chartres, attacked the Bill in the House of Lords. The legislation, he said, could affect anything from the Brownies' end-of-term concert to a large-scale choral event.

The White Paper leading up to the current Bill, Bishop Chartres said, had "included the encouragement of both tourism and rural communities. The role of churches and cathedrals in drawing visitors to different parts of our country is well documented, while the contribution made by activites held in church buildings to life in rural communities is incalculable."

No church, he said, would want to evade regulations intended to ensure public safety, but "we do have concerns that over-regulation of entertainment in buildings which do not seem to present safety problems when used by congregations will deter parishes and others from hosting community events."

The Archbishops' Council is so concerned about the proposals that they have contacted every diocese, asking for comments on the Bill, which goes to the Committee Stage next month.

A report, Rural Mission, released this month, shows that almost half of rural churches are regularly used for musical entertainment as distinct from church worship. This, says the report, is an important way of making links with the local community.

Communities in Truro diocese, in Cornwall, rely heavily on the use of church premises, said the Diocesan Communications Officer for Truro, Jeremy Dowling, on Tuesday. If the Bill went through in its present form, it could be disastrous. "A church like St Endellion, in north Cornwall, which hosts an international music festival at Easter and in August, would be stuck. The festival goes on for 13 days.

"The Government wants churches to be used more for the community. but then introduces these charges. I do not think this Bill has been thought out at a practical level," Mr Dowling said.

Nick Bates, administrator of St Albans Cathedral, said on Tuesday that music in the diocese was "vibrant". The cathedral hosted about 25 concerts a year, "and there are performances in most local churches. If they are told that, to satisfy licensing conditions, they must change seating and so on, for safety, many will say, 'I am sorry, we can't do that.' Our mission to use our buildings for cultural events, and to link up with the community, will become very difficult."

The Council for the Care of Churches had taken up the matter, a Church House spokesman said. "It is asking the dioceses for concrete evidence about who, in church life, would be affected."