Renewal of a Public Entertainment Licence
Perth and Kinross Council · 8 June 2026
Back to Licensing Committee — 8 June 2026 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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PERTH AND KINROSS COUNCIL – LICENSING COMMITTEE 8 JUNE 2026 REPORT BY STRATEGIC LEAD - LEGAL AND GOVERNANCE TYPE OF APPLICATION Renewal of a Public Entertainment Licence APPLICANT Heartland Festival Ltd, 18 Duke of Edinburgh Drive, Pitlochry PH16 5LU PREMISES Pitlochry Recreation Ground, Ferry Road, Pitlochry PH16 5DZ THE APPLICATION Heartland Festival Ltd has applied for a three-year Public Entertainment Licence to hold a music festival at Pitlochry Recreation Ground, from 26-28 June 2026. The proposed event is an outdoor music festival with a maximum of 8000 attendees per day. The site will comprise the main arena, and car parking and will incorporate one bar outlet and food stalls. There will also be a funfair comprising 1 Ferris wheel, 1 Twister and bouncy castles. The proposed operating times for the event, including the car park and main arena, are set out in the licensing conditions attached as Appendix 1. The conditions have been updated to include the 2026 event dates and a change in the maximum number of attendees from 9000 to 8000. The event organisers have actively participated in the Safety Advisory Group process, attending meetings on 16 April 2026 and 5 May 2026. Through submission of supporting safety and management plans, all relevant agencies have had an opportunity to review and consider those plans prior to each meeting and provide feedback and comments on those submissions. The event organisers continue to engage with partner agencies as required. An on-site visit has been scheduled for the day prior to the event, providing an opportunity for any interested agencies to attend the site alongside the event organisers. The licensing conditions attached as Appendix 1 require the production of a Safety Management Plan before 8 June 2026 which will address the key issues to ensure a safe event. The details of the safety management plan are included in Table 1 of the licensing conditions. Letters and emails of objection and support are attached as Appendix 2 and comprise: - 1 letter of objection - 1 email of objection - 8 emails of support; and - 1 letter of support. Appendix 3 comprises a summary of feedback received from Perth and Kinross Council departments referenced in points raised in the letter of objection. 26/164
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LEGAL POSITION The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 provides grounds for the refusal of a public entertainment licence. Any decision to refuse a public entertainment licence must be relevant to one or more of the following grounds of refusal as detailed in the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. A licensing authority must grant the application unless one of the grounds of refusal exists. If, in the opinion of the Committee, a ground of refusal exists then the application must be refused. The grounds for refusal are: - The activity to which the licence relates would be managed by or carried on for the benefit of a person, other than the applicant, who would be refused such a licence if they made the application. Where the licence relates to an activity consisting of or including the use of premises, those premises are not suitable or convenient for the conduct of the activity having regard to: the location, character or condition of the premises, vehicle or vessel; the nature and extent of the proposed activity; the kind of persons likely to be in the premises, vehicle or vessel; the possibility of undue public nuisance, public order or public safety; or there is other good reason for refusing the application. In deciding whether or not to grant or renew a licence, the Council will consider each application on its own merits and will take into account the following: any Objections or Representations any other relevant considerations The Head of Legal and Governance Service has delegated powers under the Council’s Scheme of Administration to suspend the licence in terms of paragraph 12, Schedule 1 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 where the carrying on of the activity to which the licence relates has caused or is likely to cause undue public nuisance, a threat to public order or public safety. Therefore, if there is any breach of the licensing condition prior to the event that could have an adverse impact on public safety, this would be reported to the Head of Legal and
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Governance Service who would decide whether the licence should be suspended. the location, character or condition of the premises, vehicle or vessel; the nature and extent of the proposed activity; the kind of persons likely to be in the premises, vehicle or vessel; the possibility of undue public nuisance, public order or public safety; or there is other good reason for refusing the application. In deciding whether or not to grant or renew a licence, the Council will consider each application on its own merits and will take into account the following: any Objections or Representations any other relevant considerations The Head of Legal and Governance Service has delegated powers under the Council’s Scheme of Administration to suspend the licence in terms of paragraph 12, Schedule 1 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 where the carrying on of the activity to which the licence relates has caused or is likely to cause undue public nuisance, a threat to public order or public safety. Therefore, if there is any breach of the licensing condition prior to the event that could have an adverse impact on public safety, this would be reported to the Head of Legal and Governance Service who would decide whether the licence should be suspended. OPTIONS The Committee needs to consider whether: the objection received relates to the activity of a Public Entertainment Licence. to amend the licensing conditions conditions or amend the draft conditions in Appendix 1. Thereafter the options open to the Committee are to: (a) grant the application (b) grant the application a shorter period of time. (c) grant the application with amended conditions (d) refuse the application.
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PROCEDURE Ask the applicant to provide information about the event Identify parties. Consider any preliminary issues Members of the public speak to their objections. Committee asks any questions to the objectors. Applicant makes submission. Committee asks any questions of the applicant. Objector sums up. Applicant sums up. Committee makes decision.