Temporary event notice
A Temporary Event Notice (TEN) is required if you want to carry out a licensable activity on unlicensed premises in England or Wales. The is a fee of £21 for every notices served.
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.
The process of applying is formally known as ‘serving’ a Temporary Event Notice. 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.
Please check the form before you submit and pay, if there are any errors on the form (dates/timings), or you do not apply for all activities you require (alcohol sales/regulated entertainment or late night refreshment), we will not be able to amend the form. You will have to apply again for the times and activities you require, this will mean another payment of the £21.00 fee. There are no provisions to refund a Temporary Events Notice.
Restrictions
Your event must:
- Have fewer than 500 people at all times – including staff running the event.
- Last no more than 168 hours (7 days).
You must be at least 18 years old to apply for a TEN.
Number of notices you can apply for
You need a TEN for each event you hold on the same premises. You can submit up to 5 TENs a year. If you already have a personal licence to sell alcohol, you can submit up to 50 TENs a year. 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. If you’re organising separate but consecutive events, there must be at least a 24 hour gap between them.
How to apply
You must apply at least 10 clear working days before your event. Clear working days do not include the day your council receives your application or the day of the event. You will have to pay a fee of £21. If you apply by post or email you must serve a copy of the TEN to the police and environmental health at least 10 working days before the event. If you apply online, the council will contact the police and environmental health for you. You can only apply for a TEN as an individual, not an organisation.
Late TENs
In Exceptional circumstances you can apply for a ‘late TEN’ which is 5 clear working days before the event (but not earlier than 9 clear working days). If you do not hold a personal licence, you can serve up to 2 late TENs per year. If you hold a personal licence, the limit is 10. Late TENs count towards the total number of permitted TENs.
Objections
The council cannot refuse a notice unless the police or environmental health object to it. They must do this within 3 working days of receiving it. They can only object 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, your council’s licensing committee will hold a meeting (called a hearing) no later than 24 hours before the event (unless all parties agree that a hearing is not needed). At the hearing, the committee will either approve, add conditions or reject the notice. If the police or environmental health object to a late TEN, the notice will not be valid and you cannot hold the event.
Special note
Bromley Council operates a policy of only accepting TENs for events that are not more than three months in advance of the event. In exceptional circumstances this can be waived but only with prior approval from the licensing team.
This is due to the limiting time frames (three working days) placed on the responsible authorities to make representations.
Cost
£21