Temporary Event Notice

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Applying for a Temporary Event Notice

The following is intended as a guide to making an application for a Temporary Event Notice. Hyndburn Borough Council cannot take responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions. You may wish to seek your own independent legal advice before making any licensing application to the Licensing Authority.

You will need to apply for a permitted Temporary Event Notice (TEN) if:

  •  You wish to lawfully carry out licensable activities at premises which do not have a premises licence or club premises certificate; or
  • The activity or the times at which it is to be carried out are not specified on an existing premises licence or club premises certificate.

Licensable activities (subject to certain exceptions) are:

  • The sale and supply of alcohol.
  • Regulated entertainment (i.e. music, singing or dancing).
  • Provision of late night refreshment.

Your event must:

  • Have no more than 499 people at all times – including staff running the event (for events of 500 or more people you will need a premises licence)
  • Last no more than 168 hours (seven days)

Other notes for guidance:

  • You must be at least 18 to apply for a TEN.
  • You need a TEN for each event you hold on the same premises.
  • A single premises can have up to 15 TENs applied for in one year, as long as the total length of the events is not more than 21 days.
  • An individual can get up to five TENs a year. If you already have a personal licence to sell alcohol, you can be given up to 50 TENs a year.
  • If you’re organising separate but consecutive events, there must be at least a 24 hour gap between them.
  • You can only apply for a TEN as an individual, not an organisation.
  • You need to make sure you have at least ten working days before your event (the date of submitting the TEN and the day of the event are not included in the total number of working days before the event, it also doesn’t include Saturday, Sunday, Christmas Day, Good Friday or any Bank holiday). 
  • To apply for a Temporary Event Notice, you must:

Once we receive your application, copies will be sent to the Police and the local authority exercising environmental health functions (noise pollution).
The Police or local authority exercising environmental health functions may object to the application if 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

If there’s an objection, the licensing committee will hold a meeting (called a ‘hearing’) no later than 24 hours before the event (unless all parties agree that a hearing isn’t needed).  At the hearing, the committee will either approve, add conditions or reject the notice.  If you disagree with the licensing committee’s decision, you can appeal to your local magistrates’ court. You must do this within 21 days, and at least five working days before the date of your event.

Once your application has been granted and a permit has been issued to you, you must keep your TEN in a safe place where the event is held.  You must also display a copy of the notice where it can be easily seen.

You could be fined if you make any false statements in your application, or face prosecution if you breach the terms of the notice.

If you don’t have a TEN and carry out an activity that you should have a licence for (or allow your premises to be used for one), you can be fined, sent to prison for up to 6 months, or both.