Guide Temporary event notices

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8. Frequently asked questions about applying for a temporary event notice

You may find it helpful to read this before you serve your notice because if any sections of the form are not completed fully or are not clear then we will have to reject your notice. If we do reject it you will need to start the process again and reapply.

We are not able to amend your notice on your behalf or correct any information you have given so it is important to fill in the form accurately.

The section numbers below relate to the questions on our online application form.

General

If you are completing our online form and are finding that it won't let you move onto the next page it may be that you haven't completed a mandatory field. When this happens the form will highlight in red all of the fields that you must fill in. We have found that the fields that are regularly missed are:

  • The tick box to say you agree to the statement at the start of page 1
  • The address field. When you search for your home address you'll need to make sure that you click on the address and that it is highlighted in blue before you can continue

Section 1: national insurance number

We do need to know your national insurance number and we can't accept your notice without it. Please either enter your national insurance number or confirm in that section that you are not a UK national.

Section 2: the premises

Please be aware that we do need you to give a thorough description of the premises in this section. It is not enough, for example, to put "Exmouth Seafront" or "Honiton High Street", instead you would need to describe the exact part of the seafront or street that is being used.

If you only want to use part of the premises, please fully describe the particular areas you will be using and tell us about any temporary structures such as marquees or gazebos that will be put up. Please give details of the size and location of such structures in your notice.

Section 3: the licensable activities

The licensable activities are:

The sale by retail of alcohol - you will need a licence if you want to sell alcohol unless you are selling it by wholesale or the alcohol is being given away with no charge being made whatsoever. If you are, for example, charging for tickets for an event and a glass of wine is included in the ticket price you will need a licence.

The supply of alcohol by or on behalf of a club to, or to the order of, a member of a club. You should only tick this box when applying for a temporary event notice if your event is taking place on a premises that is licensed by a club premises certificate and alcohol is only being supplied to members of that club and no one else.

The provision of regulated entertainment. This includes the following activities:

  • performance of a play
  • exhibition of a film
  • indoor sporting event
  • boxing or wrestling
  • performance of dance
  • performance of live music
  • playing of recorded music

If they take place:

  • in the presence of a public audience for their entertainment
  • exclusively to members of a qualifying club or
  • in private and a charge is made with a view to profit

However, there are some exceptions to this and there are various types of entertainment that you don't need a licence for. Do please contact us before you serve your notice if you would like further information about this.

The provision of late night refreshment - this is the supply of hot food or hot drink to the public from any premises (for consumption on or off the premises) between the hours of 11pm and 5am.

Section 3: late temporary event notices

Just under the tick boxes for the licensable activities there is a box that you must tick if you are applying for a late temporary event notice. A late TEN is any notice which is given between 5 and 9 clear working days before the event. If you need to serve a late temporary event notice you must tick this box to confirm that you are aware your notice is late. We will have to reject your notice if this box hasn't been ticked.

Section 3: event dates

You must state clearly the date or dates on which you will be carrying out licensable activities. Please note that a single TEN can only licence a single event that lasts for a maximum of 7 consecutive days. You will need to give the date, month and year of your event. If your event carries on into the early hours of the next morning then you need to make this clear by selecting the following day for the end date. 

Section 3: event times

When giving the times for your event it is very important that you give these times in the 24 hour clock. This will make sure that it's clear to all authorities involved exactly when your event will be taking place. If your event is running over several days you will need to give the timings for each day separately. Similarly, if your event is in the evening and runs into the early hours of the next morning then you should put, for example, "commences on Saturday at 17:00 and ends on Sunday at 01:30". 

If the dates and times of your event aren't clear we will have to reject your notice.

For all events the applicant should monitor the area throughout the event to ensure that loud music is not clearly audible off site and is not disturbing local residents. 

Section 3: Event numbers

The form asks you to give the maximum number of people who will be present. Please note that you must fill this box in and you must give the very maximum number. You shouldn't for example put 40-60 or give an approximate figure. A temporary event notice can only licence events with a maximum of 499 people attending.

Section 3: Relevant entertainment

Where the form asks if the licensable activities will include the provision of relevant entertainment it is important to note that relevant entertainment is not the same as regulated entertainment. You should only fill in this box if you are providing relevant entertainment which is defined as "any performance or any live display of nudity which is of such a nature that, ignoring financial gain, it must reasonably be assumed to be provided solely or principally for the purpose of sexually stimulating any member of the audience (whether by verbal or other means)".

Sections 5 and 6: previous temporary event notices you have given 

Sections 5 and 6 ask questions about how many temporary event notices you have already served. It is important to fill in these sections accurately as there are strict limits to the amount of TENs a person or premises are allowed in one calendar year. 

Please be aware that for the purposes of this form, where it refers to an associate of the premises user, this is defined as being any of the following:

  • the spouse or civil partner of that person
  • a child, parent, grandchild, grandparent, brother or sister of that person
  • an agent or employee of that person or
  • the spouse or civil partner of a person listed in either of the two previous bullet points