NALC issues practical guidance to help parish and town councils prepare for the new anti-terrorism legislation

The Martyn’s Law Steering Group has published a new resource to help parish and town councils get ready for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, which received Royal Assent in April 2025.

With the legislation not expected to come into force until spring 2027, the government has built in a 24-month implementation period to give councils and businesses time to prepare. During this time, the Martyn’s Law Steering Group will issue a series of advice notes to support parish and town councils in developing strong local security cultures and understanding their future responsibilities.

The first resource offers clear, practical steps parish and town councils can take now, even before formal compliance is required, to contribute to community safety. It explains:

• The background and purpose of Martyn’s Law.
• Key elements of the Act include the new responsibilities for Standard and Enhanced Tier premises.
• How the new rules will affect public events, depending on size and venue type.
• What parish and town councils can do now to start preparing.

The resource also highlights simple but effective actions that parish and town councils can take immediately to help combat grassroots terrorism. These include conducting terrorism risk assessments for public spaces and events, adopting robust public protection procedures, promoting Action Counters Terrorism (ACT) e-learning and See, Check and Notify (SCaN) training for councillors, staff, and volunteers, and working closely with Police Counter Terrorism Security Advisors and local businesses.

The steering group’s work aligns with broader government efforts, such as those from the Home Office and Protect UK, to raise awareness and provide guidance on how to reduce vulnerabilities and protect publicly accessible locations.

With the UK’s current national terror threat level classified as SUBSTANTIAL, meaning an attack is likely, there is a growing focus on ensuring that parish and town councils are informed and ready to play their part in keeping their communities safe.

We will publish additional resources over the coming months once the Home Office issues its statutory materials, which will offer more detailed guidance.