How should town and parish councils prepare for Martyn’s Law?
02/17/2026
A new law to help organisations better prepare for the risk of terrorist attacks has been approved
and will come into effect within the next two years.
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 – also known as Martyn’s Law – will impact premises
and events where more than 200 people are likely to attend.
In this article, we answer some of the questions town and parish councils might ask about the law.
Why has Martyn’s Law been introduced and what does it do?
The law, named after Martyn Hett, who was killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, aims to improve the preparedness of organisations across the UK in the face of complex and rapidly evolving terrorist threats. The law gives organisations within its scope certain responsibilities, which include notifying the UK’s private security regulator, the Security Industry Authority (SIA), of their premises and putting in place appropriate procedures to protect the public.
Who does the law apply to?
Events and premises will fall within the scope of the legislation if they meet criteria relating to the numbers of people present, the nature of the activities that take place there, and how often or regularly the premises are used for those activities. There are different requirements for “standard tier” premises – locations with a capacity of 200-799 people – and “enhanced tier” premises, where 800 or more individuals may be present at one time.
Our previous article on Martyn’s Law explains more about the qualifying criteria. The types of premises that will qualify are covered in schedule 1 of the Act.
Will every town and parish council be impacted by Martyn’s Law?
Many town and parish councils are likely to have premises or events that could fall within the scope of the Act, which covers uses such as leisure and entertainment, and sales of food and drink.
The Home Office is yet to publish its statutory guidance on how to comply with Martyn’s Law, but an important first step for councils is to read through schedules 1 and 2 of the Act to get a clearer idea of which premises and events qualify and which are excluded. For example, while sports grounds are covered by the Act, if premises only host sporting activities that are not subject to any entry restrictions – e.g. purchasing and presenting a ticket or displaying membership credentials – then they are exempt from the legislation.
Who will be responsible for premises and events that do qualify?
A designated “responsible person”, i.e. a person considered to be in control of the premises or event, will be tasked with achieving compliance. For town and parish councils, an important point to note is that even if they are not directly in charge of an event held on their premises, they may still be considered the responsible person for the purposes of the Act.
What will town and parish councils need to do?
The good news is that councils will not be expected to implement any expensive physical security measures, such as CCTV systems. Instead, the Act requires organisations to put in place appropriate procedures that are “reasonably practicable” given the premises/location and the resources available. The Home Office has stressed that any costs involved are likely to relate to time spent on “simple, low-cost activities”.
While the new Act does not make providing terrorism protection training for those working at events or premises a legal requirement (an early draft version of the legislation did include such a provision), councils are strongly encouraged to consider training needs for those who will be responsible for implementing their safety plans. You should also keep records of any training provided.
How should we assess how many individuals are expected to be present at our premises/events?
The Home Office says organisations can use any tried-and-tested methods for estimating event/premises numbers, such as referring to historic data or safe occupancy calculations.
What support is available to help our council prepare for Martyn’s Law?
While councils await the statutory Home Office guidance on Martyn’s Law, there are already some useful resources to help you prepare.
The ProtectUK website provides a detailed breakdown of the different requirements under the legislation, as well as a comprehensive explanation of the differences between standard tier and enhanced tier premises, and some helpful security tips, resources and video guides.
Zurich Resilience Solutions can also support your organisation in preparing for Martyn’s Law, by reviewing existing management systems and arrangements for the prevention and control of security incidents and providing advice on terrorism risk management resources and specialist support.
