The non-returnable fee for this application is £915 and must be submitted with the application to the Proper Officer for Registration Matters at Cumbria County Council, Member Services Unit, The Courts, Carlisle, CA3 8NA (cheques should be made payable to Cumbria County Council).
The grant of approval unless subsequently revoked, will run for three years from the date on which it is granted.
The application must be made by the proprietor or trustee of the premises. When made on behalf of a limited company there should be a separate statement of the names and addresses of all the directors.

The premises must fulfil the following standard requirements in Schedule 1 of the Regulations:
1. Having regard to their primary use, situation, construction and state of repair, the premises must, in the opinion of the Council, be a seemly and dignified venue for the solemnization of marriages.
2. The premises must be regularly available to the public for use for the solemnization of marriages.
3. The premises must have the benefit of such fire precautions as may reasonably be required by the Council, having consulted with the fire authority, and such other reasonable provisions for the health and safety of persons employed in or visiting the premises as the Council considers appropriate.
4. 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 marriage in pursuance of Section 26(1)(bb) of the Act.
5. The room or rooms in which ceremonies of marriage will be solemnized if approval is granted must be identifiable by description as a distinct part of the premises.

The premises must also fulfil the following standard requirements set by the Council:
(a) There should be adequate arrangements for disabled access.
(b) There should be a separate room, distinct from where the wedding ceremony will take place, available for the Registrar to interview the couple prior to the ceremony.
(c) There should be adequate toilet facilities provided.
(d) There should be two car parking spaces reserved for Registration staff on days when weddings are taking place.
(e) The approved room(s) should have minimum seating for 20 people.

After each inspection, the Council may impose additional requirements specific to each application if this is considered appropriate.

In considering the suitability of premises as a venue the local authority will have regard to the following Guidance from the Registrar General:
1. The new law is intended to allow civil marriages to take place regularly in hotels, stately homes, civic halls and similar premises without compromising the fundamental principles of English marriage law and Parliament’s intention to maintain the solemnity of the occasion. The term “premises” is defined in Regulation 2(1) and there are restrictions introduced in Schedule 1. These will mean that certain premises would not be suitable for approval.
2. Marriages must take place in readily identifiable premises. This will preclude marriages from taking place in the open air, in a tent, marquee or any other temporary structure and in most forms of transport.
3. Marriages must be solemnized in premises with open doors, which the Registrar General interprets to mean that the public must have unfettered access to witness the marriage and make objections prior to or during the ceremony.
4. A private house is unlikely to be an appropriate venue for civil marriage. It would not be known to the public as a marriage venue or regularly available for their use.
5. The primary use of a building would also render it unsuitable if that use could demean marriage or bring it into disrepute.
6. The secular nature of civil marriage precludes the use of any building with a recent or continuing religious connection. This effectively rules out any building or room whose description, purpose or appearance is still considered to be linked to religion. A chapel in a stately home and a building containing furniture or fittings associated with a place of religious worship, or which has stained glass windows depicting a religious image are examples of a continuing religious connection. However, premises in which a religious group meets occasionally may be suitable if the primary use of the premises is secular.
7. Marriages on approved premises may be followed by a celebration, commemoration or blessing of the couples choice, providing that it is not a religious marriage ceremony and is separate from the civil ceremony. However, if a religious blessing were to regularly follow marriage ceremonies on particular premises, or be considered part of the service being offered on the premises, there may well be a religious connection which would breach the requirements and lead to the local authority having to consider revoking the approval.

THE CONDITIONS TO BE ATTACHED TO GRANTS OF APPROVAL

The authority must attach the following standard conditions from Schedule 2 of the Regulations to any approval:
1.    The holder of the approval must ensure that there is at all times an individual with responsibility for ensuring compliance with these conditions (“the responsible person”) and that the responsible person’s occupation, seniority, position of responsibility in relation to the premises, or other factors (his “qualification”), indicate that he is in a position to ensure compliance with these conditions.
2.    The responsible person or, in his absence, an appropriately qualified deputy appointed by him, shall be available on the premises for a minimum of one hour prior to each marriage ceremony and throughout each marriage ceremony.
3.    The holder must notify the authority –
(a) of his name and address immediately upon him becoming the holder of an approval under Regulation 7(2), and
(b) of the name, address and qualification of the responsible person immediately upon the appointment of a new responsible person.
4.    The holder must also notify the authority immediately of any change to any of the following –
(a) the layout of the premises, as shown in the plan submitted with the approved application, or in the use of the premises,
(b) the name and full postal address of the approved premises,
(c) the description of the room or rooms in which marriages are to be solemnized,
(d) the name and address of the holder of the approval, and
(e) the name, address and qualification of the responsible person.
5.    The approved premises must be available at all reasonable times for inspection by the authority.
6.    A suitable notice stating that the premises have been approved for the solemnization of marriages in pursuance of Section 26(1)(bb) of the Marriage Act 1949 and identifying and giving directions to the room in which a marriage ceremony is to take place must be displayed at each public entrance to the premises for one hour prior to the ceremony and throughout the ceremony.
7.    No food or drink may be sold or consumed in the room in which a marriage ceremony takes place for one hour prior to that ceremony or during that ceremony.
8.    All marriage ceremonies must take place in a room which was identified as one to be used for the solemnization of marriages on the plan submitted with the approved application.
9.    The room in which a marriage is solemnized must be separate from any other activity on the premises at the time of the ceremony.
10.    The arrangements for and content of each marriage ceremony must meet with the prior approval of the Superintendent Registrar of the district in which the approved premises are situated.
11.    Any reading, music, words or performance which forms part of a ceremony of marriage must be secular in nature; for this purpose any such material used by way of introduction to, in any interval between parts of, or by way of conclusion to the ceremony should be treated as forming part of the ceremony.
12.    Public access to any ceremony of marriage solemnized in approved premises must be permitted without charge.
13.    Any reference to the approval of premises on any sign or notice, or on any stationery or publication, or within any advertisement may state that the premises have been approved by the authority as a venue for marriage in pursuance of Section 26(1)(bb) of the Act, but shall not state or imply any recommendation of the premises or its facilities by the authority, the Registrar General or any of the officers or employees of either of them.

Any further conditions the local authority considers appropriate upon grant of approval

ANNEX B - STANDARD AND LOCAL CONDITIONS

The premises must fulfil the following standard requirements in Schedule 1 of the Regulations:

1.   Having regard to their primary use, situation, construction and state of repair, the premises must, in the opinion of the Council, be a seemly and dignified venue for the solemnization of marriages.
2.   The premises must be regularly available to the public for use for the solemnization of marriages.
3.   The premises must have the benefit of such fire precautions as may reasonably be required by the Council, having consulted with the fire authority, and such other reasonable provisions for the health and safety of persons employed in or visiting the premises as the Council considers appropriate.
4.   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 marriage in pursuance of Section 26(1)(bb) of the Act.
5.   The room or rooms in which ceremonies of marriage will be solemnized if approval is granted must be identifiable by description as a distinct part of the premises.

The premises must also fulfil the following standard requirements set by the Council:
(a)   There should be adequate arrangements for disabled access.
(b)   There should be a separate room, distinct from where the wedding ceremony will take place, available for the Registrar to interview the couple prior to the ceremony.
(c)   There should be adequate toilet facilities provided.
(d)   There should be two car parking spaces reserved for Registration staff on days when weddings are taking place.
(e)   The approved room(s) should have minimum seating for 20 people.

ANNEX C - ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

RENEWAL
1.      The holder may apply for the renewal of an approval when the current approval has between six and twelve months to run. An application for renewal made in this period will extend the current approval until the application has been finally dealt with. A renewal will run from the expiry date of the current approval.
REVOCATION
2.      The authority may revoke an approval if it is satisfied, after considering any representations from the holder, that the use or structure of the premises has changed so that any of the standard or local requirements cannot be met or the holder has failed to comply with one or more of the standard or local conditions attached to the approval.
3.      The Registrar General may direct the authority to revoke an approval if, in his opinion and after considering any representations from the holder, there have been breaches of the law relating to marriage on the approved premises.
4.      When an approval has been revoked the regulations require the former holder to notify any couples who had arranged to marry on the premises.  
REVIEWS
5.      An applicant may seek a review by the local authority of its decision to refuse to grant an approval, to attach local condition, to refuse to renew an approval or to revoke an approval.
6.      The review must be carried out by a different officer, committee or sub-committee than that which made the decision which is being appealed against. The review panel may confirm the decision, rescind it or vary it with the impression of fresh or further conditions.  
7.      The authority may charge an additional fee for a review of its decision to refuse to grant an approval, to attach local conditions or to refuse to renew an approval. 
8.      A direction by the Registrar General to revoke an approval is not subject to review by the authority.  
REGISTRATION
9.      Details of approved premises will be held for public inspection by the authority. These details will be copied to the Superintendent Registrar of the district the premises are situated and to the Registrar General who will periodically circulate the details to all Superintendent Registrars.

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