Legislation checklist: Tourism, leisure and sport

Businesses that provide tourism, leisure and sport services (such as demonstration days, craft courses, picnic sites or cycle trails) must comply with the following legislation. This is not an exhaustive list, and legal advice should always be taken before making any business decisions.

Local authority regulation

• The Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 set out which ‘changes of use’ require planning permission.

Health and safety

• The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and equivalent legislation in Northern Ireland require employers and self-employed people to protect the health and safety of their employees and anyone else who may be affected by their business activities.

See also: Health and safety guidelines for rural businesses

• The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and equivalent legislation in Northern Ireland require employers and self-employed people to carry out workplace risk assessments, take appropriate measures to reduce risk, and provide health and safety training for employees.
• Tourism, leisure and sport services must ensure that any equipment and protective clothing they provide for customers to use as part of an activity complies with product-specific safety regulations, general product safety legislation and British, European and International Standards (BS, EN and ISO).