Herald - Issue 412

16th September 2021 • The HERALD • Page 55 v SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SPECIALISTS v Do I have any recourse if I bought a ticket from a tout or a reselling website and was refused entry to an event? You can be refused entry to an event if you have purchased a ticket from a tout or reselling website if the ticket states ‘no resale’ or is a counterfeit ticket. In these circumstances, you would argue a breach of contract against the seller to claim your costs back. I would recommend that you check the terms and conditions on your tickets or booking information provided for the event that you wanted to attend. If it is a genuine ticket and the reason for refusing you entry is not within the stated terms and conditions, you can argue the venue or organisers have broken the contract by denying you entry and you can potentially pursue them for a refund. Are ticket touts still allowed to operate in the UK? e general resale of football tickets is illegal under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 unless the resale is authorised by the organiser of the match. However, the re-selling of live music tickets for pro t is not against the law in the UK. Professional touts have commonly used specialised so ware (known as ‘bots’) to automatically buy tickets in bulk the instant they are made available to the general public. ese are then listed and sold for pro t on reselling websites. e Government has recently passed ASK A PROFESSIONAL Are Your Legal Rights Continued from page 54 new legislation, in the form of the Digital Economy Act 2017, which bans touts from using ‘bots’ to buy tickets in bulk. is new legislation has made it a criminal o ence to use automated technology to purchase large amounts of tickets to then be sold on at in ated prices. Am I better protected if I buy tickets from a ticket reselling websites compared to ticket touts? e best protection will be o ered by purchasing tickets from a reseller authorised by the event organiser. Can I use my legal expense insurance to make a claim against a seller if the tickets turned out to be fraudulent or not for re-sale? Generally, legal expenses insurance will provide an element of cover for contract disputes. If you are sold tickets that turn out to be fraudulent or not for re-sale, you may have an argument of breach of contract against the seller. If you fall victim to such a sale, we would recommend that you contact your legal expenses insurance provider to obtain advice and to explore your cover further. Disclaimer: This information is for general guidance regarding rights and responsibilities and is not formal legal advice as no lawyer-client relationship has been created. Note that the information was accurate at the time of publication but laws may have since changed. New Forest District Council (NFDC) are advising developers and homeowners planning an extension, or other building project at home, to know when the best time to carry out an ecological survey is or potentially face delays to the planning process. Planning applications for a range of developments, large and small can require the need to conduct various site surveys, including in some cases, an ecological survey, before you seek permission. ese surveys can o en only be done at certain times of the year. Chris Hodsman, NFDC’s ecologist, said: “Before planning permission can be granted, the presence or absence of protected species, and the extent to which they could be affected by the proposed development, needs to be known. These ecology surveys are a fundamental part of a planning application determination but there are only certain times of the year they can be carried out. It is such a shame when the applicant is not aware of this requirement or the seasonal constraints and it delays their project”. “Assessing the likely ecological impacts of a development is often complex so employing a suitably qualified ecological consultant is usually cost effective and valuable.. Pre-application discussion with the Local Planning Authority will ensure all issues are considered before an application is submitted and help prevent delays.” e survey season for many species ends in the next couple of months. Residents can see information about optimal survey periods at: www. newforest.gov.uk/article/2780 For pre-application planning advice, see: www.newforest.gov.uk/ article/1464/Pre-application-planning- advice NFDC ADVISE DEVELOPERS OF BEST TIME TO DO ECOLOGY SURVEYS