Right, thanks everyone, the company policy is now this,
The correspondence is filed along with a downloaded copy of the Act. We have highlighted the sections which we believe indicate that we do not need to buy a licence.
We will not reply to the circular letters, as we do not believe that they apply to us.
In the unlikely event that a PRS representative lands on our doorstep we will ask them to indicate which part of the Act defines our premises as a public place, or a place of public entertainment. If they can do so we will happily stump up, if they can’t we will then notify trading standards of what we believe to be at best a misleading, and at worst a fraudulent approach to this matter by the PRS.
I will also make a complaint to Trading Standards as a private individual to test our understanding of the matter.
In all cases if we are wrong we will hold our hands up and stump up, whatever it is that we owe.
(My business partner and I have a side bet on that they have employed someone that used to work for a private parking company or similar, due the simialrity in the approach used.)