Households and hospitality businesses across the North will pay more for a TV licence from 1 April 2026. DCMS has set the annual colour licence at £180, with the black‑and‑white licence moving to £60.50. Ministers say the rise follows the inflation‑linked formula agreed in 2022 and support remains in place for those spreading payments. (gov.uk)

This is a national change with very local consequences. From Blackpool guest houses to Dales campsites and city‑centre hotels, TV sets in rooms fall under a specific hotel and hospitality licence defined in law. That licence is charged in blocks rather than per set, and it applies to inns, guest houses, holiday camps, caravan and camp sites as well as hotels. (legislation.gov.uk)

Under Schedule 5 of the 2004 Regulations, the hotel and hospitality licence charges one full ‘relevant amount’ for up to 15 guest rooms, then another full ‘relevant amount’ for each extra block of five rooms. That structure has been updated annually, alongside the main fee, in recent years. (legislation.gov.uk)

What does that look like on the ground? Last year, at £174.50 per block, a 30‑room property would have paid about £698. From 1 April, at £180 per block, the same hotel would pay £720-an extra £22. A 60‑room holiday park moves from £1,745 to £1,800, a £55 rise. Small numbers, but they land in a tough trading year. (gov.uk)

Sector leaders warn the timing is awkward. UKHospitality’s latest modelling suggests accommodation businesses face steep business‑rates hikes from April 2026, with hotels seeing average increases of 115% over three years without stronger relief. The body wants ministers to apply the full 20p discount permitted in law. (ukhospitality.org.uk)

For residents and operators in the Crown Dependencies, the picture is similar but the process differs. Jersey and Guernsey set their own legislation and update local TV‑licence rates to mirror UK decisions-Jersey does so via a Ministerial Decision, Guernsey via its Economic Development Committee. Businesses should watch for those local notices. (itv.com)

For households, the rules haven’t changed: you need a licence to watch or record live TV on any device, and to use BBC iPlayer. DCMS also stresses that support for those in severe financial difficulty remains available and that smaller instalments can be arranged through the Simple Payment Plan. (itv.com)

Politically, this is a holding measure while the government consults on the BBC’s long‑term funding. The Charter Review Green Paper remains open, and DCMS has signalled the licence will track CPI through the Charter period, with another CPI‑linked adjustment expected in April 2027. (gov.uk)

What should Northern operators do now? Price 2026/27 budgets using £180 as the block ‘relevant amount’ for hotel licences, count one block for the first 15 rooms and one for each five thereafter, and fold the result into rates and energy forecasts ahead of Easter season bookings. (legislation.gov.uk)