Licence Summary
If you wish to hold an ad-hoc event in England or Wales, which either includes regulated entertainment or the sale of alcohol, you must give a temporary event notice (TEN) to the licensing authority. 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.
There are two types of TEN. A standard TEN can be given at least ten working days before the event. A late TEN can be given between 9 and 5 working days before the event. These days do not include the day of the event or the day the authority receives the application.
You must also give copies of the notice to the police and environmental health no later than ten working days before the event (or between 9 and 5 for a late TEN), unless you are applying electronically.
You must be 18 years or older to give a TEN and can give a maximum of five TENs per year (2 of which can be "late"). If you are a personal licence holder, you can give a maximum of 50 TENs per year (10 of which can be "late").
Your event must involve no more than 499 people at any one time and last no more than 168 hours (7 days) with a minimum of 24 hours between events. A premises can only have no more than 12 events per calendar year with an aggregate of 21 days in total.
Eligibility Criteria
The notice must be in a specific format and must be made by someone over 18 years of age.
The notice should contain:
- details of the licensable activities
- the event period
- the times when during that period the activities will take place
- the maximum number of people proposed to be allowed on the premises
- any other required matters
Regulation Summary
The Licensing Act 2003 (Permitted Temporary Activities) (Notices) Regulations 2005
Application Evaluation Process
The TEN must be given in writing to the local authority within the specified time periods. More guidance on working out the last day to give notice can be found in the documents available on this page. Alternatively please contact us if you have any concerns about your notice being late.
A fee of £21 is payable with the notice.
The local authority will acknowledge receipt of the notice before the end of the first working day it was received or before the end of the second working day if the day the notice was received is not a working day.
The premises user must also give notice to the chief officer of the local police department and environmental health no later than ten working days before the event period (or between 9 and 5 working days in the case of a late TEN), unless applying online, where this notification is undertaken by the council on the premises users behalf.
The chief police officer, or environmental health, if they believe believes that the event would undermine any of the licensing objectives can serve an objection notice on the licensing authority and the premises user. This notice must be served within 72 hours of receipt of the temporary event notice.
The local licensing authority must hold a hearing if an objection notice is served on a standard TEN. They may issue a counter notice if it considers it necessary for the promotion of crime prevention objective. A decision must be made at least 24 hours before the beginning of the event. If the TEN relates to a premises that has a premises licence or club premises certificate, the licensing sub-committee, that makes the decision at the hearing, can apply any of those conditions to the TEN. A police chief may modify the TEN with the consent of the premises user. In such a case an objection notice will be deemed to have been withdrawn.
If an objection notice is served on a late TEN, then the notice will not be allowed and the licensable activities at the event will not be able to be provided.
Counter notices may be provided by the licensing authority if the number of permitted TENs has been exceeded.
Will Tacit Consent Apply?
Tacit consent applies to a Temporary Event notice if no relevant representations are made during a period of 72 hours after the notice has been given to the Police. This target date is known as the ‘last date for representation’. The notice will be deemed to have effect after the last date for representation. You will be informed within seven working days after the last date for representation if your notice is effective.
If relevant representations are made within 72 hours a valid notice being received tacit consent does not apply and a public hearing must be held to determine your application. The public hearing will be held within seven working days after the last date for representation. The hearing date may be extended beyond seven working days if the Licensing Authority considers it is in the public interest to do so.
Target Completion Period
If there are no representations to the application, the licence will be granted eight working days from that day the licensing authority received the application.
If there are representations, the application will go before a licensing sub-committee and a decision will be made at the hearing.
Forms to download, print and post
Should you wish to apply by post, you can download the following forms from this page that you can complete and post to us, or send by email:
- Covering letter to TEN applicants
- TEN Form
- GN-R Guidance on making a TEN application
- GN-S Guidance on holding a temporary event
Apply online
Apply for a temporary event notice
This link will take you to Business Link, a Government run website, that will allow you to apply and pay online for your temporary event notice. If you use Business Link we strongly recommend you contact entertainment licensing the next day to ensure your form and payment have been received.
Redress
Please contact us in the first instance.
If a counter notice is given in relation to an objection notice the applicant may appeal against the decision. Appeals must be made to the local Magistrates' court within 21 days. An appeal may not be brought later than five working days from the day of the planned event.
Members of the public who are experiencing problems with licensed premises may wish to read Guidance on Problem Premises.
Public Registers or databases
We holds public registers of premises licence applications which can be accessed through the Public Access Portal.
Trade Associations
National Outdoor Events Association (NDEA)
Society of Event Organisers (SEO)
Event Supplier and Services Association (ESSA)
TSNN Online Directory
Use of Personal Data
We are under a duty to protect the public funds it administers, and to this end may use the information you have provided on your application for the prevention and detection of fraud. It may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes.