About Temporary Event Notices
Temporary Event Notices (TEN) can be used to authorise licensable activities on a temporary basis.
They can be used to temporarily ‘license’ a premises which does not already have a premises licence or club premises certificate, or they can be used at an already licensed premises or club to temporarily authorise additional activities and/or extend operating hours.
A TEN can be used on a ‘premises’ like an open space, such as a park or field – it doesn’t need to be a building.
TENs must be served on the Licensing Authority which is responsible for the area in which the premises are located. For the county of Somerset, the Licensing Authority is Somerset Council.
When a TEN is served, the Licensing Authority serves it to the Police and Environmental Protection Authority (also Somerset Council) who can object. Objections can result in a person not being authorised for the licensable activities.
There are two types of TEN: a ‘standard TEN’ and ‘late TEN’.
Standard TEN are notices which are served to the Licensing Authority at least 10 clear working days before event (which doesn’t include the day the notice is served or the day the event is to start).
A late TEN can be served up to 5 clear working days before the event. They are intended to be used in exceptional circumstances.
Licensable activities
The following activities constitute ‘licensable activities’:
- The sale and/or supply of alcohol.
- The provision of ‘regulated entertainment’, which includes plays, films, live music, recorded music, performances of dance, indoor sporting events and boxing or wrestling entertainment. There are various exceptions and exemptions. Further information is available in the Guidance Notes. See Note 7
- The provision of ‘late-night refreshment’, which is serving hot food or hot drink to the public between the hours of 11pm and 5am.
If you are unsure whether your event requires a TEN, or which licensable activities should be included, please contact the Licensing Team before submitting your application. We are happy to provide advice and guidance, although responsibility for identifying the activities requiring authorisation remains with the applicant.
TEN limits and rules
A maximum of 499 people can be present at a premises authorised by a TEN. That includes any staff, volunteers and performers.
They can authorise a period of up to 168 consecutive hours (7 days).
You must over 18 years old to submit a TEN.
You can give up to 5 TENs in a calendar year, 2 of which can be late TENs.
If you hold a personal licence (issued in accordance with the Licensing Act 2003) you can give up to 50 TENs in a calendar year, 10 of which can be late TENs.
A single premises has a limit of 15 TENs per calendar year and 21 days (or part days) of licensable activities. When either limit is reached and the Licensing Authority receives another TEN, it must issue a counter notice.
Objections
The Police and Environmental Protection Authority can object if they are concerned about the impact of the TEN on any of the ‘licensing objectives’:
- The Prevention of Crime and Disorder
- Public Safety
- The Prevention of Public Nuisance
- The Protection of Children from Harm
When an objection is made against a late TEN, the Licensing Authority must issue a counter notice, which means the person giving the TEN does not have authorisation to provide licensable activities.
When an objection is made against a standard TEN, the Licensing Authority organises a hearing where all parties can then make their case to the Licensing Sub-Committee (a panel of three elected councillors who sit on the Council’s Licensing & Regulatory Committee). The Licensing Sub-Committee can decide to:
- Allow the TEN to go ahead.
- Allow it to go ahead and impose any conditions which already feature on an existing premises licence or club premises certificate for the premises.
- Refuse the TEN.
Fees and Charges
It costs £21 to serve a Temporary Event Notice. We do not issue refunds if a Temporary Event Notice is withdrawn, refused or invalid, which includes any found to be outside of the Somerset Council boundary.
Apply
To serve a Temporary Event Notice, please complete this online form
You should read the Guidance Notes page before you submit your notice.
What happens next
After submitting your TEN, you will receive an automated acknowledgement email with a copy of your notice attached.
Check your notice is correct. TENs cannot be changed once they’ve been submitted and acknowledged. If you make a mistake e.g. forget to include a licensable activity, you would need to submit withdraw your TEN and submit another.
Fines and penalties
It is an offence under section 136 of the Licensing Act 2003 to carry on, or attempt to carry on, ‘…otherwise than under and in accordance with an authorisation’, which includes:
- Providing licensable activities without a TEN, premises licence or club premises certificate at all.
- Not sticking to the terms of a TEN, such as the hours authorised or exceeding the number of people that was specified.