Temporary Event Notices
Temporary Event Notices (TENs) authorise licensable activities on unlicensed premises on a temporary basis.
Licensable activity includes:
- selling alcohol
- serving alcohol to members of a private club
- providing entertainment, such as music, dancing or indoor sporting events
- serving hot food or drink between 11pm and 5am
You’ll also need a TEN if a particular licensable activity is not included in the terms of your existing licence, for example holding a wedding reception at a community centre.
Whilst the minimum notice you have to give is 10 working days (you do NOT count Saturdays and Sundays or any Bank Holidays), we would encourage you to serve your TEN as soon as possible during the process of arranging the event to make sure you can get the permission you want.
When calculating the 10 working days notice period, please note that this does not include the day the notice is received by the licensing authority or the day of the event.
If the premises where the event is to be held is in areas governed by two or more local authorities, applications must be made to each.
Important information about applying for a temporary event notice:
- You must be 18 years or older to send a notice.
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There are limits on the number of TENs you can apply for each year:
- 5 TENs (50 if you're a personal licence holder)
- 2 late TENs (10 if you're a personal licence holder)
- 20 TENs per premises
- The maximum total duration of the periods covered by TENs at any particular premises cannot exceed 21 days in any calendar year. Note: A day means a period of 24 hours beginning at midnight (and cannot be taken as any 24 hour period). A calendar year commences on the 1st January and ends on the 31st December
- A temporary event notice only allows a maximum of 499 people at an event (including staff) – if you want to hold an event for more than 499 people, you might have to apply for a premises licence with a fixed time period.
- A notice may last for no more than seven consecutive days (that is 168 hours running together), and there must be a minimum of 24 hours between each event.
As long as the above rules are followed, only the police or an Environmental Health Officer can intervene to stop an event authorised by a TEN from taking place. This is also the case for any changes to the arrangements for the event. The police and Environmental Health can only intervene where they believe that the event would undermine one or more of the licensing objectives.
A list of all current TENs can be viewed here on our public register.
Serving a TEN
The process of submitting or 'applying for' a TEN is formally known as ‘serving’ a Temporary Event Notice.
Submit a Temporary Event Notice online via the online portal website
You will need a debit or credit card to pay the fee for this application.
The fee for a (TEN) is £21 per notice. The fee is not refundable if the notice is withdrawn or cancelled, is made too late, or if a statutory limit is exceeded.
Please note: a temporary event notice cannot be changed once acknowledged by the licensing authority. If your event does not go ahead as planned you can cancel the TEN at any time up to 24 hours before the TEN start time and the TEN will not count towards your total yearly allowance. However, your application fee cannot be refunded.
Late TENs
If 10 working days notice cannot be given you may be able to give a late TEN.
Late TENs are only intended to be used by premises users who are required for reasons outside their control to, for example, change the venue at short notice. They should only be used exceptional circumstances.
The latest you can submit a ‘late TEN’ notification is between 5 and 9 clear working days before the event. Again clear working days do not include the day the local authority receives your application or the day of the event, and again bank holidays are not included.
After submission - what happens next?
Once we receive your TEN via the online portal we will:
- Acknowledge it within three working days
- Return the TEN (the notice) to you
- Serve the TEN on all those who must be consulted - the Police and Environmental Health.
Please note that if you have not completed the process online via the portal then it is your responsibility to serve a copy of the TEN notice on the Police and Environmental Health.
If your application for a Temporary Event Notice is turned down
We can only refuse your notice if the Police or Environmental Health object to it because they think your event could:
- Lead to crime and disorder
- Cause a public nuisance
- Be a threat to public safety
- Put children at risk of harm
The Police and Environmental Health must make their objections within three working days of receiving your TEN.
If there is an objection, our Licensing Act 2003 Sub-Committee will hold a hearing, where they will either approve, add conditions or reject your TEN. You can appeal their decision at the magistrates' court within 21 days of them making it, and at least five working days before your event.
If the police or environmental health object to a late TEN, you will not be able to hold the event.
If we do refuse your notice, we will serve a formal counter notice. We will not refund your fee.
Fines and Penalties
You may face prosecution (which could result in a fine or prison sentence) if you:
- Carry out an activity that needs a licence without a Temporary Event Notice
- Allow an event that needs a licence to take place on your premises without a Temporary Event Notice
- Make any false statements when completing your Temporary Event Notice
Temporary increase in limits for 2022/2023
PLEASE NOTE: For the duration of 2022 and 2023, the number of Temporary Event Notices that a premises user can give will also increase from 15 to 20 per calendar year and the maximum number of days a temporary event may be held at a premises will increase from 21 to 26 days per calendar year. A single premise can have up to 20 TENs submitted for in one year, as long as the total length of the events is not more than 26 days, for events taking place in 2022 and 2023 only.
Temporary Events