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Temporary Event Notices

When to apply for a Temporary Events Notice

You need to apply for a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) if you want to carry out a ‘licensable activity’ on unlicensed premises in England or Wales, or if you want to extend the hours currently permitted on your premises licence a particular licensable activity.

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

A TEN can only be applied for if:

  • there are fewer than 500 people at all times – including staff running the event
  • the event last no more than 168 hours (7 days)
  • you are at least 18 to apply for a TEN

Restrictions

  • the number of times a premises user may give a TEN is 50 times in a calendar year for a personal licence holder and five times in a calendar year for other people
  • the number of times a premises user may give a late TEN is limited to 10 times in a calendar year for a personal licence holder and twice for other people
  • late TENs count towards the total number of permitted TENs (i.e. the limit of five TENs a year for non-personal licence holders and 50 TENs for personal licence holders)
  • a notice that is given less than ten working days before the event to which it relates, when the premises user has already given the permitted number of late TENs in that calendar year, will be returned as void and the activities described in it will not be authorised
  • the number of times a TEN may be given for any particular premises is 15 times in a calendar year
  • the maximum duration of an event authorised by a TEN is 168 hours (seven days)
  • the maximum total duration of the events authorised by TENs in relation to individual premises is 21 days in a calendar year
  • the maximum number of people attending at any one time is 499
  • the minimum period between events authorised under separate TENs in relation to the same premises (not including withdrawn TENs) by the same premises user is 24 hours
  • a TEN application must be submitted to the local authority no later than 10 working days before the event, excluding the day of application, the day of the event and any bank holidays
  • a late TEN must be submitted to the local authority no later than 5 working days before the event, excluding the day of application, the day of the event and any bank holidays

You must apply to the local authority for the area in which your event will take place. If you apply to the wrong local authority then the application will be void and non-refundable. You can find the correct local authority using the following link:

How to apply

If your application is located within Hitchin Market Place you need to contact Hitchin BID before submitting an application to be provided with a Grid Location for your TEN. If your event covers more than one grid you will need to submit an application and payment per grid location.

To serve a Temporary Events Notice you need to submit the following:

  • a completed Temporary Events Notices application form
  • the correct fee of £21 (this fee is non-refundable - please refer to the Refunds section below for details)

Online

If you submit your application electronically then the licensing authority will serve the application on the relevant responsible authorities.

Email

You can also email the downloadable application form below to licensing@north-herts.gov.uk

Please do not email the PDF form available on the GOV.UK website, it is designed to only work through the online portal.

If you submit your application by email you will need to pay using our online payment portal:

Post

If you submit your application by post then you must also send a copy of the application to Hertfordshire Constabulary and North Herts Council's Environmental Protection team:

Licensing Team: North Herts Council, PO Box 10613, Nottingham, NG6 6DW

Licensing Officer: Licensing Dept, Hitchin Police Station, College Road, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 1JX

Environmental Protection Team: North Herts Council, PO Box 10613, Nottingham, NG6 6DW

Refunds

The application fee for a temporary events notice is non-refundable in all circumstances, as the fee is to cover administration costs for processing the application.