Fire safety, licensing and the 2025 Act
What is my venue's capacity?
There is no single legal formula that produces a venue capacity in England and Wales. The number comes from one of three places: a safe occupancy figure calculated for fire safety, a capacity condition attached to your premises licence, or evidenced attendance data. Whichever you use, the figure decides which duties apply, including the 200 and 800 thresholds in the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. Answer four questions to see where you stand.
Question 1
What states a capacity figure for your venue today?
Pick the strongest evidence you actually hold. A number in a manager's head is not evidence.
What this checker covers
- Where a legally usable capacity figure actually comes from
- Safe occupancy for fire safety, using the floor space factors in Approved Document B
- Capacity conditions attached to a premises licence under the Licensing Act 2003
- Whether staff, volunteers and contractors count (they do)
- The 200 and 800 thresholds in the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, and the premises that stay standard tier whatever their numbers
- Premises and events that sit outside the 2025 Act entirely
Venue Capacity Check is an independent information site operated by Ellul Solutions Ltd. It is not affiliated with any government department, fire and rescue authority, licensing authority or the Security Industry Authority, and nothing here is legal advice. Capacity figures depend on the specific layout, use and exit provision of your premises: confirm yours with a competent fire risk assessor and your licensing authority before relying on it.
Floor space factors used to calculate occupant capacity
Last updated
Where a venue has no designed occupancy figure, Approved Document B volume 2 sets the occupant number by dividing the area of the room or storey in square metres by a floor space factor. These are the factors in Table D1, with a worked example for a 200 square metre space.
Reproduced from Table D1 of Approved Document B (fire safety) volume 2, Buildings other than dwellings, published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on gov.uk, as at the updated date above. Paragraph D1 gives two methods for the occupant number: the maximum number of people the space is designed to hold, or area divided by a floor space factor. Paragraph D2 says counters and display units are included in the measured area, while stair enclosures, lifts, sanitary accommodation and other fixed parts of the building structure are excluded. The right-hand column is 200 square metres divided by the factor, rounded down. Approved Document B is guidance on meeting the Building Regulations, not a licensing or counter-terrorism standard: the figure it produces is a starting point that then has to be reconciled with your fire risk assessment and any licence conditions.
| Type of accommodation | Floor space factor (m² per person) | People in 200 m² |
|---|---|---|
| Standing spectator areas, bar areas within 2m of a serving point, similar refreshment areas | 0.3 | 666 |
| Amusement arcade, assembly hall, bingo hall, club, crush hall, dance floor or hall, venue for pop concerts, bar areas without fixed seating | 0.5 | 400 |
| Concourse or queuing area | 0.7 | 285 |
| Committee, common, conference, dining, meeting, reading or waiting room, lounge or bar other than above, restaurant, staff room | 1.0 | 200 |
| Exhibition hall or studio (film, radio, television, recording) | 1.5 | 133 |
| Skating rink, or shop sales area | 2.0 | 100 |
| Art gallery, dormitory, factory production area, museum or workshop | 5.0 | 40 |
| Office | 6.0 | 33 |
| Kitchen or library, or bulky-goods shop sales area | 7.0 | 28 |
- There is no single national formula for venue capacity in England and Wales: Approved Document B sets an occupant number for fire safety, the Licensing Act 2003 allows a capacity condition on a premises licence, and the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 asks for a reasonable, evidenced expectation of numbers present.
- Table D1 of Approved Document B volume 2 gives a floor space factor of 0.3 m² per person for standing spectator and bar areas within 2m of a serving point, 0.5 m² for dance floors and general assembly halls, and 1.0 m² for restaurants and meeting rooms.
- Capacity figures used for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 must include everyone working at the premises, whether employees, contractors or volunteers, not just members of the public.
Cite this page
“Floor space factors used to calculate occupant capacity”, Venue Capacity Check, https://venuecapacitycheck.co.uk/ (updated 2026-08-14). Reproduced from Table D1 of Approved Document B (fire safety) volume 2, Buildings other than dwellings, published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on gov.uk, as at the updated date above. Paragraph D1 gives two methods for the occupant number: the maximum number of people the space is designed to hold, or area divided by a floor space factor. Paragraph D2 says counters and display units are included in the measured area, while stair enclosures, lifts, sanitary accommodation and other fixed parts of the building structure are excluded. The right-hand column is 200 square metres divided by the factor, rounded down. Approved Document B is guidance on meeting the Building Regulations, not a licensing or counter-terrorism standard: the figure it produces is a starting point that then has to be reconciled with your fire risk assessment and any licence conditions.
Need your capacity figure assessed and documented?
We'll introduce you to a fire risk assessor or licensing consultant who can produce an evidenced occupancy figure for your premises.
The detail
Each one cites where its numbers come from.
- How to calculate venue capacity: the five accepted methods
Fire safety occupancy, historic attendance data, fixed seating, ticket limits and licence restrictions are all accepted ways to establish a venue capacity figure.
- Safe occupancy and your fire risk assessment: where the number lives
The Fire Safety Order requires a fire risk assessment for non-domestic premises. The safe occupancy figure it produces is the most reusable capacity number you own.
- Capacity conditions on a premises licence: what actually binds you
The Licensing Act 2003 sets no national capacity figure. A capacity limit binds you only where it appears as a condition on the premises licence itself.
- What your capacity figure triggers: 200, 800 and everything below
Capacity is not just a number on a wall. It decides escape route provision, licence conditions and which tier of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 applies.
Frequently asked
Is there a legal formula for venue capacity in the UK?
No single one. Approved Document B volume 2 sets an occupant number for fire safety, either the number the space is designed to hold or the area divided by a floor space factor from Table D1. The Licensing Act 2003 has no formula and works through conditions. The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 asks for a reasonable, evidenced expectation of numbers present.
How many people per square metre can a venue hold?
It depends on the type of space. Table D1 of Approved Document B volume 2 gives 0.3 m² per person for standing spectator and bar areas within 2m of a serving point, 0.5 m² for dance floors and general assembly halls, 1.0 m² for restaurants and meeting rooms, 2.0 m² for shop sales areas and 6.0 m² for offices.
Do volunteers count in venue capacity?
Yes, for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. The Home Office guidance defines staff as all those working at the premises or event, whether employees, contractors, volunteers or otherwise, and they must be included in the assessment figure.
Does an outdoor venue have a capacity under the 2025 Act?
Qualifying premises must consist of a building, or a building and other land, so a purely open-air site is not qualifying premises. Parks, gardens, recreation grounds and other open-air leisure premises with free public access are also expressly excluded. A ticketed event held on open land can still be a qualifying event at 800 or more.
What happens if my capacity figure is wrong?
Under the 2025 Act the Security Industry Authority can require the responsible person to show how the assessment was carried out, using the information gathering powers in Schedule 3. Under fire safety law an occupancy figure that outruns the escape provision is a serious finding. Under licensing, exceeding a capacity condition is a licence breach.
Know your number before someone asks for it.
Four questions gives you the tier. A documented figure gives you the answer to the regulator.
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