Sun Tan Centres - 2025

Overview

The Council recognises that licensing conditions need to be reviewed regularly to ensure that they remain fit for purpose and promote good practice amongst licensed operators.  At its meeting on 29 September 2025, the Regulatory Committee approved a consultation on a new set of conditions to be drafted specifically for Sun Tan Centres.

Anyone wishing to operate a Sun Tan Centre in Edinburgh must hold a Public Entertainment Licence under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. This is because the Council passed the Public Entertainment Resolution, which made Sun Tan Centres  one of the types of entertainment which must be licensed under the Act.

Currently all Public Entertainment Licences, including those for Sun Tan Centres, are subject to the same standard conditions.

The purpose of licensing Sun Tan Centres is to ensure public safety and to prevent crime. In addition, every person who applies for a licence is assessed to determine whether they are ‘fit and proper’ to have a licence. In practical terms this means that a Police Scotland background check is carried out on the person applying for the licence.

Separately from the licensing requirements, Sun Tan Centre operators must comply with public health regulations and guidance from the Health and Safety Executive.

Why your views matter

Your views will help to update the Council’s conditions framework for licensed Sun Tan Centres. Your comments may also help to identify other areas where the Council needs to adapt its existing policy.

The Council will engage with a variety of stakeholders, and the results of this engagement will be considered by Regulatory Committee in Spring 2026.