Massage or Special Treatments

The Nottinghamshire County Council Act 1985 requires that an annual licence is required to undertake a range of massage or special treatments. Many businesses provide a mixture of treatments for members of the public, some of which will require licensing.

These activities include:

• Sunbeds- Horizontal, single and double sided.
• Sundomes- Vertical tanning systems
• Saunas
• Steam Rooms
• Aromatherapy involving full or part body massage with alleged therapeutic benefits
• Remedial massage/massage therapy/Swedish body massage
• Warm wax body treatments
• Seaweed wraps
• Pressure therapy using an inflatable body wrap
• Body exfoliation
• Sugaring body treatments
• Electric treatment
• Radiant heat
• Cosmetic laser and pulsed light treatments
• Other similar treatments.

Application Forms

You can download all forms from the 'useful documents' section of this page.  Alternatively you can apply online (national Business Link site). This Authority does not accept payment by credit cards.

Upon receipt of the completed application form and fee the premises will be inspected and the local police informed. Providing there are no problems the licence will be issued. The Rehabilitation of the Offenders Act 1974 enables the Authority to require and consider details of convictions which would otherwise be regarded as spent under the Act. Full disclosure is therefore required, but applicants have the Council’s assurance that the information given will be treated in confidence and will only be taken into account in relation to the relevant application. The issued licence must be displayed in a prominent position.

Fees

The application fees (April 2011-end March 2012) for the licence types are:

• Massage or special treatment (Sun bed only) £118.00
• Massage or special treatment £126.50

Additional fees for laser treatments:

• Laser Treatment
• First application £180.00
• Renewal £90.00
• Laser Treatment - variation £180.00

Exemptions

Exemptions from requiring a licence exist in the legislation for:

• an establishment for massage or special treatment carried on by a registered medical practitioner or by a member of any duly constituted organisation which specifies qualifications for the practice by its members of chiropractic, osteopathy, naturopathy, or acupuncture, being a member who is required by that organisation or association to observe professional standards in such practice; or
• any hospital provided by the Secretary of State or by a charity which is registered under the section 4 of the charities Act 1960 or is exempted from registration by subsection (4) of that section; or
• any nursing home which is for the time being registered under the nursing homes Act 1975 or exempt from registration under that Act; or
• any premises which are an establishment for massage or special treatment merely by reason of face or scalp massage being administered in those premises.
• a person registered by any board established under the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act 1960, a member of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy who is not so registered or to a nurse registered or enrolled by the General Nursing Council of England and Wales.

Refusals and revocations

The Council may, after giving the applicant an opportunity of being heard by its licensing panel, refuse to grant or renew the licence or may revoke it in any of the following circumstances: -

• where the applicant is under the age of 21;
• if the applicant has been convicted of an offence under the sexual offences Act 1956 to 1976 or the Street Offences Act 1959 or if you are considered otherwise unsuitable to hold a licence;
• where the premises to be used for the purpose of the establishment for massage or special treatment are unsuitable for massage or special treatment or where the facilities or accommodation provided therein are inadequate or unsuitable;
• where the establishment has been or is being improperly conducted;
• where the establishment is one of which adequate professional, technical or other staff are not available for the administration of such massage or special treatment as may there be provided; or
• where the establishment is being carried on in contravention of the Nottinghamshire County Council Act 1985 or any byelaw made there under.

Rights of appeal

If the application is refused or your licence is revoked, the applicant may demand that the council supplies within seven days of its decision, a statement of the grounds on which the decision was based. The applicant has the right of appeal to the local magistrates court against the decision. This right must be exercised within six months of the date of the decision.