City of Westminster Act 1996

3 Closure notice

(1) Where the council are satisfied that premises in the city are being used as a sex establishment without a licence in breach of Schedule 3 they may serve a closure notice in respect of those premises.

(2) Where a closure notice is served—

(a) it shall be served on—

(i) at least one person having control of or an interest in the business carried on in the premises; and

(ii) the occupier of any other part of the building in which the premises are situated and to which, in the opinion of the council, access would be impeded if an order under section 4 (5) (a) below were made in respect of the premises; and

(b) it may be served on any other person having an interest in the premises.

(3) A closure notice shall—

(a) specify the matter alleged to constitute a breach of Schedule 3;

(b) specify any steps which may be taken in order to remedy the breach described in paragraph (a) above including—

(i) the immediate closure of the premises to the public for the time being; or

(ii) the immediate discontinuance of the use of the premises as a sex establishment; and

(c) state the effect of section 4 (1) below.

(4) The council may at any time withdraw a closure notice by serving further notice to that effect on all persons on whom the closure notice was served.

(5) For the purposes of subsection (2) above a person having an interest in the business carried on in the premises includes a person who—

(a) owns the business; or

(b) manages the business; or

(c) employs any person to manage the business; or

(d) is involved in the conduct of the business.