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Premises approval for marriage or civil partnership ceremonies

To hold a marriage or civil partnership ceremony at premises in Haringey, they must firstly be approved by Haringey Council.

Eligibility Criteria

You must be the proprietor or a trustee of the premises to apply for permission to hold civil partnerships or wedding ceremonies.

The application must be in writing (including by electronic means) and include:

  • the name and address of the applicant
  • a plan of the premises which clearly identifies the room or rooms in which the proceedings will occur
  • the premises must be a seemly dignified venue for proceedings
  • the premises must have the benefit of such fire precautions as we reasonably require, having consulted the Fire Authority, and such other reasonable health and safety of persons employed in or visiting the premises as we consider appropriate
  • the premises must have no recent or continuing connection with any religion, religious practice or religious persuasion which would be incompatible with the use of the premises for the solemnization of marriages or civil partnerships. The premises can not be a register office
  • the room or rooms in which the proceedings are to take place must be identifiable by description as a distinct part of the premises.
  • The premises must be regularly available to the public for use for the solemnization of marriages and civil partnerships
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Application Evaluation Process

Your application must be accompanied by:

  • The appropriate fee (which will cover a three year period)
  • A plan of the premises which must be clear and legible in all material aspects
  • Such other information we may require to determine if the premises meets the eligibility criteria above.

The application will be made available to the public for inspection and public notice of the application put in a local newspaper as part of a public consultation process.

We will arrange a visit to the premises as soon as practicable. To be granted your application must be in the correct format and your premises deemed suitable.

We must grant the application where no objections have been received. However a hearing must be held if any objections are made in respect of the application.

On grant of approval conditions will be imposed. We may also impose further conditions as we consider reasonable to ensure the facilities provided at the premises are suitable.

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Will Tacit Consent Apply?

Yes. This means that you will be able to act as though your application is granted if you have not heard from us at the end of 28 days. Where objections have been received to the application, we must determine the application within 56 days. Please contact us if we notify you that objections have been made.

Where tacit consent is applicable, it will only apply for licenses / registrations that are submitted electronically or the business can show proof of delivery from a post office or recognised courier.

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How to apply

You can apply for a licence to hold a marriage or civil partnership ceremony at premises in Haringey online (external link) on the Business Link website.

Online payment Terms and Conditions

The following credit or debit cards are accepted in Haringey:

Different types of cards accepted

Maestro - Mastercard Debit - Mastercard Credit - Visa Credit - Visa Debit (formerly Delta) and Visa Electron

Terms and conditions

  1. We cannot accept liability if payment is refused or declined by the card supplier.
  2. If the card supplier declines payment, the Council is under no obligation to bring this fact to the customer's attention.
  3. Customers should check with their card supplier to ensure that payment has been deducted from their relevant account.
  4. Due to end of day processing, this service will not be available between 10pm and 11pm every weekday evening (Mon- Fri).
  5. Users should note that any payments in process after the 10pm deadline need to be completed by 10.05pm.
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Failed Application Redress

Please contact Haringey Registrars in the first instance.

You have the right to seek a review of the local authority's refusal to grant your application.

You must deliver your request for review to the proper officer of the local authority, accompanied by any requested fee.

The Council is able to revoke an approval at any time, if we are satisfied that you have failed to comply with the conditions attached to it: or the use or structure of the premises has changed.

Licence Holder Redress

Please contact your Local Authority in the first instance.

You have the right to seek a review of the local authority's imposition of conditions, refusal to renew or revocation of approval.

You must deliver your request for review to the proper officer of the local authority, accompanied by any requested fee.

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Consumer Complaint

We would always advise that in the event of a complaint the first contact is made with the Service provider and the Licensing Authority - preferably in the form a letter (with proof of delivery). If that has not worked, if you are located in the UK, Consumer Direct will give you advice. From outside the UK contact the UK European Consumer Centre.

Other Redress

If you object to an application for premises approval you may give notice to the local authority within 21 days of the notice of application appearing in the local newspaper.

This authority is under a duty to protect the public funds it administers, and to this end may use the information you provide on any application form for the prevention and detection of fraud. It may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes.

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Contact

Register Office
Civic Centre
High Road
Wood Green
London
N22 8LE

Tel 020 8489 2605
Fax 020 8489 2912
Minicom 020 8489 2692
Email registrars@haringey.gov.uk

The following links are not part of the Haringey Council website. Please read our legal disclaimer before using these links

Page Last Updated: 21 September 2011

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