New guidance to support the implementation of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, also known as Martyn’s Law, has been published by the UK Government to help major venues and events be better equipped to protect the public from terrorism.
Events are a major part of North Yorkshire’s visitor offer, and we want to ensure that visitors to those events feel safe when attending.
We’ve rounded up some helpful information and resources to help your business to prepare.
What is Martyn’s Law?
Named in tribute to Martyn Hett, one of the 22 victims of the Manchester Arena attack, the law introduces a legal requirement for certain public premises and events to:
- consider how they would respond to a terrorist attack
- put in place procedures that reduce the risk of harm, for example evacuation plans
- carry out proportionate security measures for larger venues such as monitoring, access control or bag checks
Does Martyn’s Law apply to my business?
From April 2027, Martyn’s Law becomes a legal requirement for all venues and events expecting 200 or more attendees, with different levels of requirements depending on the number of expected attendees. You can find out more about this on the North Yorkshire Council's North Yorkshire Local Protect and Prepare groups page.
Where can I access support to help me prepare my business?
North Yorkshire Council has set up three local multi-agency protect and prepare groups to help businesses and organisations in North Yorkshire comply with the upcoming Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill. The groups cover the following areas:
- West (Ripon, Richmond, Skipton, Northallerton and surrounding areas)
- Central (Harrogate, Selby, Knaresborough, and Ainsty)
- East (Scarborough, Whitby, Thirsk, Malton and Easingwold)
These groups work in partnership with businesses and communities to identify risk and vulnerability in relation to a potential terrorist attack in North Yorkshire.
Adult Learning North Yorkshire are also offering a free two-hour training session that will cover:
- identifying groups and organisations affected by Martyn's Law
- the tiered approach adopted by the Act
- the actions that are needed to comply with Martyn's law
To find out more about accessing these resources, go to North Yorkshire Council's Local Protect and Prepare groups page.
To read the full guidance from the UK Government go to GOV.UK's The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 page.
