Further to letters on the subtle but devastating legislative change from April 1 regarding public entertainment licences, I would like to highlight another hidden issue.
In this year of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, many people will be considering ways to publicly celebrate this event. How many organisers will be aware that free entry community events will now, according to the legislative briefing on Glasgow City Council's website, require a public entertainment licence?
There is an exemption for gala days, fetes and outdoor events of a similar small scale, but what is "small scale"? And what if you end the event with a couple of fireworks? Public fireworks displays have no exemption. If you hold an event in a school or church hall you are exempt, but what if you use a community hall?
This legislative change is a nonsense which has not been thought through and is a real threat to community life, not just in the field of art and culture but also in the social realm. It is being introduced in stealth mode and we need to raise the public voice against it.
Tony Green,
46 Grandtully Drive,
Glasgow.
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