Guide ยท Updated 6 November 2026
Martyn's Law for village halls and community centres
Short answer: if your hall can reasonably expect 200 or more people inside at the same time, even occasionally, it will be in the Standard Tier of Martyn's Law when the law comes into force, expected in spring 2027. Most halls that are in scope will only ever be Standard Tier.
Is my hall in scope?
Halls and community centres are one of the types of premises the Act covers. What decides it is the number of people you can reasonably expect at the same time, not how often you are busy. Think about your biggest regular use:
- the annual quiz, dance, pantomime or wedding reception
- a polling day, flu clinic or public meeting
- a fete or market that spills into the hall
If any of these could bring 200 or more people inside at once, the hall is in scope. Your premises licence, fire risk assessment or the capacity sign on the wall is a good starting point. If you genuinely never get near 200, the law does not apply, though the same procedures are still good practice.
Who is the "Responsible Person"?
The Responsible Person is whoever has control of the premises for the use that brings it into scope. For most halls that is the management committee or trustees, or the parish or town council if it runs the hall. It is the organisation that is responsible, but it helps to name one person to lead on it, such as the chair or bookings secretary.
What about people who hire the hall?
Your procedures need to work whoever is using the building. In practice that means:
- a short "in an emergency" sheet in the hall that any hirer can follow
- a line in your hire agreement asking hirers to read it and brief their own helpers
- clear instructions on how to lock the doors and where people can shelter
If a hirer puts on their own large ticketed event, they may have duties of their own as an event organiser, but the hall's procedures still need to be in place.
We're run by volunteers. Is this going to be expensive?
No. The Standard Tier does not require any equipment, building work or security staff. It asks for sensible procedures "so far as is reasonably practicable", which the government has said should be low-cost or no-cost. A volunteer-run hall is not expected to do what a stadium does.
What you need to do
- Notify the Security Industry Authority (SIA) that you are responsible for qualifying premises, through its online portal, within three months of the law starting.
- Have public protection procedures covering evacuation, invacuation (moving people to a safer place inside), lockdown and how you will warn people.
- Brief your regular volunteers and hirers and keep a simple record that you have done so.
Our Standard Tier checklist walks through each step.
Want it done for you? Answer one 15-minute questionnaire and we write your Standard Tier procedures, Responsible Person record, staff briefing sheet and record log, delivered within 3 working days.
General information based on the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 and the Home Office and SIA guidance as at 6 November 2026. Not legal advice. Official sources: SIA: Understanding Martyn's Law and ProtectUK.
More guides: all Martyn's Law guides.