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Temporary events notice

A Temporary Event Notice (TEN) is needed when an event is taking place, with less than 500 people attending, where certainly licensable activities will take place.

Apply for a temporary events notice online via the gov.uk website.

TENs are intended for one-off, ad hoc events such as village fetes, parties, weddings, festivals and music events.

Licensable activities are:

  • the sale of alcohol by retail
  • the supply of alcohol by or on behalf of a club to, or to the order of, a member of a club
  • the provision of regulated entertainment
  • the provision of late night refreshment (i.e. the provision of hot food or drink for consumption on or off premises between 11pm and 5am)

Criteria for TENs

The criteria below must be met by any event wishing to be awarded a TEN:

  • the premises user must be over 18 years old (the person giving the TEN is known as the premise user)
  • personal licence holders may give up to 50 notices per year
  • non personal licence holders may only give up to five notices per year
  • each event may last no more than 168 hours (7 days) and there must be at least 24 hours between events
  • no premises may be used more than 20 times per calendar year
  • no premises may be used for greater than 26 days per calendar year in total
  • no more than 499 persons must attend the event

Only the police and environmental health may intervene to prevent an event covered by a TEN from taking place. They may also request a modification of arrangements to meet the UK licensing objectives of:

  • prevention of crime and disorder
  • public safety
  • the prevention of public nuisance
  • the protection of children from harm

Procedure for giving a TEN

You’ll usually need to apply for a TEN at least ten working days prior to your event start date (not including the day the application is received and the day of the event). We prefer a notice period of 28 days. Apply for a temporary events notice online via the gov.uk website. This process will send a copy of your application to us and to Nottinghamshire Police.

The application form includes:

  • details of the licensable activities that will take place
  • the period during which it is proposed to use the premises for those activities
  • the times during the event period when licensable activities are to take place
  • the maximum number of persons to be allowed on the premises at any one time (not exceeding 499)
  • if the supply of alcohol is involved, whether the supplies will be for consumption on or off the premises or both
  • where the licensable activities include the supply of alcohol, the condition that all such supplies are made by or under the authority of the premises used

We’ll either acknowledge receipt of your application or, in consideration of any police objection, provide a counter notice saying that the event cannot go ahead, within 48 hours of receipt of the application.

If you have any issues or queries, please contact us at request@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk

Police and environmental objections

If the police/environmental health believe that allowing the event will undermine the licensing objectives, they must, no later than 48 hours after being given a copy of the TEN, give the premises user and us an objection notice.

The police, with the agreement of the premises user, can modify the TEN in which case the counter notice issued by us will be withdrawn. Otherwise the Council must hold a hearing to consider the notice at least 24 hours before the event.

Late TENs

Legislation has changed to allow the use of late Temporary Event Notices.  This allows the premise user to apply for a TEN up to between nine and five clear working days before the event. 

If an objection is received from the police or environmental health based on the four licensing objectives, unlike a standard TEN when a hearing would take place, a late TEN would be rejected and the event would not go ahead.

Discussions prior to submitting a TEN

If you’re planning to hold a major event, it’s best to contact us at an early stage before a formal notice is made. This will enable the police to consider and discuss your operating schedule and avoid potential objections and hold ups.

Planning laws

The giving of a temporary event notice does not relieve the premises user from any requirements under planning law for appropriate planning permission where it is required.

Children

It is unlawful to allow any unaccompanied child under the age of 16 to be present on premises where the TEN is exclusively or primarily used for supply and consumption of alcohol, or between midnight and 5am.

Police powers

The police have the power to close down events with no notice on grounds of disorder, the likelihood of disorder or because of public nuisance caused by noise coming from the premises.

TENs for premises that already hold a premises licence

TENs may be needed for premises that already hold a premises licence or a club premises certificate. For example, you would require a TEN to use a pub for an event involving regulated entertainment such as for a wedding, where the premises licence does not authorise such a provision of regulated entertainment. It could be used where the premises wants to stay open later than is specified on their premises licence for a particular event.