By Katie Chapman, Account Manager
If you manage a shopping centre, run events, or work in retail and leisure, you’ve probably started hearing about Martyn’s Law, officially the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. It received Royal Assent in April this year, and while it won’t come into force immediately, it will be phased in over the next two years.
The aim is simple: to make public spaces safer by ensuring those responsible take proportionate steps to prepare for and respond to terrorist threats.
At first glance, legislation like this might sound daunting, but in reality it’s about being ready rather than red-taped. The law introduces a tiered approach, so what’s expected of you depends on the size of your venue or event.
Standard Tier premises
Those with between 200 and 799 people will need to have basic protective procedures in place, such as lockdown, invacuation, evacuation and communication plans. For many shopping centres, restaurants, and mid-sized events, these are sensible measures you may already practice.
Enhanced Tier venues and events
Those expecting 800 or more people will need to go further. This means introducing additional security measures like bag searches, CCTV and vehicle controls, as well as documenting their plans and submitting them to the regulator. The golden rule throughout is that everything must be “reasonably practicable” – in other words, proportionate to the size, risks, and resources of your venue.
The law applies broadly to publicly accessible locations, including shops, restaurants, entertainment venues, and events, but with some exceptions such as transport hubs and open-access public parks. Every qualifying space will need a Responsible Person to make sure requirements are met. In a shopping centre, this may fall to the operator, but there’s also a duty to cooperate where multiple stakeholders are involved, ensuring retailers and centre management are working together on joined-up plans.
So how do you prepare without overcomplicating things?
The good news is you don’t need expensive consultants or a brand-new security team. The focus is very much on planning, training, and culture. Start by identifying which tier your venue falls into and nominating your Responsible Person.
Review your existing procedures, are staff confident about what to do in an evacuation or lockdown? Then, make use of the resources already available on ProtectUK, the official hub for guidance and updates. Many venues will find they are already doing a lot of what’s required; the key is making sure it’s consistent, documented, and communicated clearly with staff.
In practice, this could be as simple as running a walkie-talkie drill with your security and cleaning teams so everyone knows the code word for lockdown. Or preparing a tenant briefing pack for retailers so their staff know the difference between evacuation and invacuation. Even small touches like clear signage for safe routes or a quarterly tabletop exercise with centre management can go a long way.
For larger venues, it might mean trialling bag search points at peak times or ensuring CCTV operators know what suspicious behaviour looks like. These are manageable, everyday steps and most venues are closer to compliance than they think.
Ultimately, Martyn’s Law isn’t about scaring people or creating barriers, it’s about building confidence for customers and staff alike. Shoppers, diners, and visitors want to feel safe, and demonstrating preparedness will strengthen trust and reputation. It also honours the memory of Martyn Hett, who lost his life in the Manchester Arena attack, by ensuring lessons are learned and reasonable steps are taken to protect others in the future.
For shopping centres and venues, this is about weaving safety into the customer experience. Safety is the new customer service, and just as we train teams to deliver excellent experiences, we should empower them to keep people safe too. By taking action now, reviewing procedures, building awareness, and engaging your teams, you’ll be ready when the law comes into effect.
It’s not about creating fear, but about showing customers and communities that your venue is safe, smart, and prepared.