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Overview:
You must apply for a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) if you want to carry out a 'licensable activity' on unlicensed premises.
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 will 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.
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 lease 18 years old to apply for a TEN
How to apply:
Apply for a Temporary Event Notice. You must do this at least 10 working days before your event.
You will have to pay a fee of £21.
You must send a copy of the TEN to the police and Environmental Health department at Dartford Borough Council at least 10 working days before the event, but if you apply apply online, the council will contact the police and Environmental Health for you.
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.
You can only apply for a TEN as an individual, not an organisation.
There can be times when we may need more information than is collected in the TEN application. Should this be the case, we will contact you and ask you to provide further details. Information about this supplementary process can be found here.
Number of notices you can apply for:
You need a TEN for each event you hold on the same premises.
You can get up to 5 TENs a year. If you already have a personal licence to sell alcohol, you can be given 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.
Late TENs:
'The latest you can apply for a 'late TEN' is 5 working days before the event (but not earlier than 9 working days).
If you don't 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 can't refuse a notice unless the police or Environmental Health object to it. If we have an objection we will raise this within 3 working days of receiving it. We will only object if we 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 the police or Environmental Health object to a late TEN, the notice won't be valid and you can't hold the event.
Appeals:
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 5 working days before the date of your event.
Displaying your TEN:
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.
Fines and penalties:
You could be fined if you make any false statements in your application, or face prosecution if you breach the terms of the notice.