Temporary Event Notice

How to apply
Application acknowledgements
How does it work?
Late TEN applications
Objections
Can I appeal?
Consumer complaints
Public Register of Temporary Events

Temporary Event Notices can be used for small scale or one off events.

You will need to submit a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) if you are planning an event where there will be:

entertainment
alcohol for sale
or hot food or drink for sale (between 23:00 and 05:00)

A TEN can be used instead of a premises licence for events involving the following licensable activities:

Plays or films
Indoor sporting events, boxing, wrestling
Live/recorded music
Performance of dance
Sale/supply of alcohol
Provision of late night refreshment (hot food and drink between 23:00-05:00)

It can also be used to authorise an event outside of the terms of an existing premises licence. Or it can be used to provide authority for an event where there is no existing premises licence.

There are a number of restrictions/limitations which are set out below.

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How to apply

A TEN costs £21.00 and you must submit one at least 10 clear working days before the event. Please see below for information on late TENs. The 10 days do not include the day it is received, the first day of the event or Bank Holidays or weekends.

You can submit and pay for a TEN online by following the link below:

Apply for a Temporary Event Notice

Please ensure that you have read the TEN guidance notes before submitting. This is because the Licensing Service will not refund invalid or rejected applications.

Please note:
Is your TEN in respect of a market/event where it's likely that more than one TEN will be submitted for the same market/event? If so, you or the market/event organiser will need to provide a plan or stall number.

If you have any problems with the online form or would prefer to apply by post or by email you can do so:

Download and complete a Temporary Event Notice Form

Please ensure you read the TEN guidance notes before applying.

Please post your completed application to the licensing office closest to where your event will take place. The address for each office can be found in the TEN guidance notes document. A fee of £21 for each event is payable. Applications submitted by email should be sent to licensing@cornwall.gov.uk. Please call the contact number to make payment.

If you apply by post or email you must also send a copy of the application to the Police and to Environmental Health at the addresses below:

Police Licensing Department
Launceston Police Station
Moorland Road
Launceston
PL15 7HY

Environmental Health
Cornwall Council
Dolcoath Avenue
Camborne
TR14 8SX

Will my application be acknowledged?

The Licensing Service will acknowledge receipt of a Temporary Event Notice via e-mail or letter. The Licensing Service will no longer be returning a copy of the notice to the notice giver unless specifically asked to do so. It is the notice giver's responsibility to keep a copy of their notice.

Tacit consent applies to Temporary Event Notices. This means that when you correctly submit a notice, you can assume that it will be acknowledged and the event can go ahead. If you do not receive an acknowledgement from the Council within a week of submitting a notice, you should contact your local licensing office.

How does it work?

Limitations on events under a TEN:

Each premises can hold no more than 15 TEN events per calendar year (increased to 20 in years 2022 and 2023 only)
Maximum total period covered by TENs at any premises is 21 days per calendar year (increased to 26 days in years 2022 and 2023 only)
No more than 499 people on the premises at any one time for each event
A TEN event can last up to 168 hours (7 days)
Each premises can hold no more than 15 TEN events per calendar year
Maximum total period covered by TENs at any premises is 21 days per calendar year
Must be a minimum of 24 hours between each event notified by the same event organiser at any premises
Multiple TENs can be submitted at the same time but each event is a separate TEN with a separate fee payable. The limits set out above cannot be exceeded
Anyone over the age of 18 can submit a maximum of 5 TENs per calendar year, 2 of which can be late TENs
Personal Licence Holders can submit a maximum of 50 TENs per calendar year, 10 of which can be late TENs

A TEN is treated as being from the same premises user even if it is given by an associate. The Act defines an associate as being a:

spouse
child
parent
grandchild
grandparent
brother or sister or their spouses, or
agent or employee of that person or their spouse

If the premises user or an associate has submitted too many notices and the limits are exceeded, then the Licensing Service must issue a Counter Notice.

Provided that the criteria set out above are met, only the police or Environmental Health may object to an event covered by a TEN.

In circumstances where the above criteria are not met, the Licensing Service must reject the TEN and the event will not be allowed to go ahead.

Where a TEN authorises the supply of alcohol, the notice contains a statement confirming that all such supplies are made by or under the authority of the premises user.

Amongst other things, a TEN must also provide details of the following:

details of the licensable activities
the location of the event and how long it will last
the times when licensable activities will take place
the maximum number of people to be allowed on the premises at any one time

Premises may be hired out to organisations/individuals for their own events. Premises owners/operators must be aware that TENs submitted by such persons will be counted under the limits set down in the Act. We recommend that a booking agreement is used. This will ensure that all TENs made in respect of a premises are made with the agreement of the premises owner/operator.

You cannot exceed the times or dates you have specified in your TEN.

Late TEN applications

The rules for submitting TENs have been changed to allow us to accept TENs sent later than ten clear working days before the event. We can accept a late TEN provided that you send it to us, the Police and Environmental Health no later than five clear working days before the event. However, if either the Police or Environmental Health object, the event will not be permitted and there is no hearing or appeal process.

There are limits on the number of late TENs you can submit. Anyone over the age of 18 can submit two late TENs in a calendar year. Personal Licence holders can submit 10 late TENs per calendar year.

Although the rules have changed, we still recommend you submit your TEN in plenty of time. Please contact us if you are unsure of the deadline for your event.

If the premises where the event is to be held straddles two or more local authority areas, then a TEN must be served on each council.

Objections

If the Police or Environmental Health believe that allowing the event will undermine any of the licensing objectives they must give the premises user and Cornwall Council an objection notice. Licensing objectives are:

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

Objections must be made within three working days of receiving the TEN.

With the agreement of the premises user, the Police or Environmental Health can modify the TEN. However, a late TEN cannot be modified.

If no agreement is reached, Cornwall Council must hold a hearing to consider the notice at least 24 hours before the event. The Councillors may decide to allow the event to go ahead as stated in the notice. If the premises already has a premises licence or club premises certificate, existing conditions can be applied to the TEN. Alternatively the Sub Committee can decide that the event would undermine the licensing objectives and should not take place. In this case, the Council must issue a counter notice. The Licensing Service will issue a hearing decision notice giving details of the reason for the decision made.

Before you serve a TEN, it might be advisable to seek advice from the Police or Environmental Protection.

Can I appeal?

An appeal process is available if parties are not satisfied with the decision of the Licensing Act Sub Committee. This is available to the premises user, the Police and Environmental Health.

Any appeal must be lodged at the local Magistrates' Court within 21 days of the date the hearing decision was made. However, no appeal may be brought later than five working days before the first day of the event.

If you have a complaint about the way your temporary event notice was processed, please contact the Licensing Service.

Consumer Complaints

If you have a problem with an event operating under a temporary event notice, we recommend you contact the organiser directly to try to resolve the dispute. If this is not successful then the Licensing Service may be able to help. Alternatively, you can have a look on the Citizens Advice website. If you live outside the UK please visit the UK European Consumer Centre.