Martyn's Law for village and community halls
Halls and community venues are a Schedule 1 use, so a village or community hall is in scope for Martyn's Law if 200 or more people may reasonably be expected at the same time, including staff and volunteers. Most small halls that never reach 200 at once will be out of scope on capacity, but you should count your busiest recurring events carefully. Where a hall is in scope, it is usually standard tier (200 to 799), which needs procedures, not equipment. The responsible person is normally the management committee or trustees (as at 12 July 2026).
Is your hall in scope?
The Act brings in premises used for certain purposes, and halls and community venues are on that Schedule 1 list. So the question is not whether a hall can be caught, it can, but whether yours reaches the threshold. That turns on capacity: the greatest number of people reasonably expected at the same time, from time to time. If that number is under 200, the hall is out of scope on capacity. From 200 to 799 it is standard tier; 800 or more, which is rare for a village hall, would be enhanced tier.
Count your busiest recurring events, and include helpers. A hall that is quiet most of the week can still tip over 200 at a packed fete, a wedding reception, a pantomime or a polling day. The test is the recurring peak, and it includes your volunteers and staff, not just the guests. Read how to count your capacity.
Who is the responsible person?
The responsible person is the individual, organisation or body with control of the premises for its use. For most village and community halls that is the management committee, the trustees or the charity that runs the hall. Where more than one person or body has control, for example a hall owned by a parish council but run day-to-day by a committee, responsibility can be shared, and each must play its part. If the responsible person is an organisation, note that a senior individual must be designated at enhanced tier, though most halls will be standard tier where that specific requirement does not apply.
What a standard-tier hall must do
If your hall is in scope at standard tier, the duties are practical and do not require spending money on kit:
- Notify the SIA that you are responsible for the premises.
- Put appropriate procedures in place across the four areas: evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication. See the four standard procedures.
- Make sure the people who run events, including regular hirers and volunteers, know the procedures.
The Act does not require building works or equipment at standard tier, and there is no legally required written document, although a short written plan and a briefing for your committee, caretakers and regular hirers is sensible and good practice.
Hirers and one-off events
Village halls are often let out to third parties. Where your hall is a qualifying premises, the responsible person's duties attach to the premises and its use, so think about how you brief hirers on your procedures. Separately, a large one-off event with 800 or more people and controlled access could be a qualifying event in its own right, which sits in the enhanced tier; who is responsible for that depends on who controls the premises for the event.
Practical first steps for trustees
- Work out your realistic peak number for your busiest recurring events, including helpers, and write down how you reached it.
- Decide whether that puts you under 200 (out of scope), 200 to 799 (standard) or 800 or more (enhanced).
- If in scope, draft your evacuation route and assembly point, your safer area for invacuation, your lockdown approach and how you would raise the alarm.
- Brief your committee and regular hirers, and keep a simple note.
- Re-check nearer commencement, expected spring 2027, in case the guidance is updated.
Frequently asked questions
Is my village hall in scope for Martyn's Law?
It is if 200 or more people may reasonably be expected at the same time, including staff and volunteers. Many small halls that never reach 200 at once will be out of scope on capacity, but count your busiest recurring events.
Who is the responsible person for a hall run by a committee?
The person or body with control of the premises for its use, which for many halls is the management committee or the trustees. Responsibility can be shared where more than one body has control.
What must a standard-tier hall actually do?
Notify the SIA and put appropriate procedures in place for evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication. No building works or equipment are required, and no written document is legally required at standard tier.
Sources
- Home Office statutory guidance Schedule 1 uses (including halls and community venues), the tiers and the duties. gov.uk statutory guidance
- Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 The Act, including the responsible-person provisions. legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/10
- Assessment of the number of individuals factsheet How to count your capacity. gov.uk capacity factsheet
Content current as at 12 July 2026. Guidance can be updated before commencement; confirm any borderline scope question against the Act.
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