Temporary event notice guidance notes

Note 11

No more than 499 may be on the premises for a temporary event at any one time when licensable activities are being carried on. If you intend to have more than 499 attending the event, you should obtain a premises licence for the event. Your licensing authority should be able to advise you. The maximum figure of 499 includes not only the audience, spectators or consumers but also, for example, staff, organisers, stewards and performers who will be present on the premises.

Note 12

If you indicate that alcohol will be supplied only for consumption on the premises, you would be required to ensure that no person leaves the premises with alcohol supplied there. If such a supply takes place, the premises user may be liable to prosecution for carrying on an unauthorised licensable activity. Similarly, if the premises user gives notice that only supplies of alcohol for consumption off the premises will take place, he/she must ensure that alcohol supplied is not consumed on the premises.  The premises user is free to give notice that he/she intends to carry on both types of supplies. For this purpose, the supply of alcohol includes both of the first two licensable activities listed in note 6 above.

Note 13

Relevant entertainment is defined in the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982("the 1982 Act") as any live performance or any live display of nudity which is of such a nature that, ignoring financial gain, it must reasonably be assumed to be provided solely or principally for the purpose of sexually stimulating any member of the audience (whether by verbal or other means). Relevant entertainment therefore includes, but is not limited to, lap dancing and pole dancing.

The 1982 Act requires premises which provide relevant entertainment to be licensed under that Act for this purpose. Premises at which there have not been more than eleven occasions on which such entertainment has been provided within a period of 12 months, no such occasion has lasted for more than 24 hours and there has been a period of at least one month between each such occasion are exempt from the requirement to obtain a licence under the 1982 Act. Such premises are likely instead to require an authorisation under the Licensing Act 2003 to be used for such activities as these are a licensable activity (the provision of regulated entertainment — see note 6 above). A temporary event notice may be given for this purpose.

Note 14

The holder of a valid personal licence issued under the Licensing Act 2003 may give up to 50 temporary event notices in any calendar year subject to the other limitations in the 2003 Act. A proposed premises user who holds such a licence should give the details requested.

Note 15

As stated under Note 14, a personal licence holder (issued under the Licensing Act 2003) may give up to 50 temporary event notices (including 10 late notices) in any calendar year. An individual who does not hold a personal licence may only give 5 temporary event notices (including 2 late notices) in England and Wales in any calendar year. A calendar year is the period between 1st January to 31st December inclusive in any year.

If an event straddles two calendar years, it will count against the limits on temporary event notices (15 for each premises, 21 days for each premises, 50 per personal licence holder and 5 for non-holders) for each year. However, only one notice needs to be given.

For the purposes of determining the overall limits of 50 temporary event notices per personal licence holder (in a calendar year) and of 5 for a non-personal licence holder (in a calendar year), temporary event notices given by an associate or a person who is in business with a premises user (and that business involves carrying on licensable activities) count towards those totals. Note 16 below sets out the definition of an "associate".

If a temporary event notice has been given for the same premises, by the same premises user, and would have effect within 24 hours before the start of the event period under the current proposal or within 24 hours after the end of that period, the temporary event notice given would be void and any licensable activities carried on under it would therefore be unlicensed.

For the purposes of determining whether or not the required gap of 24 hours is upheld, temporary event notices given by an associate or a person who is in business with a premises user (and that business involves carrying on licensable activities) count as if they had been given by the premises user. Note 16 below sets out the definition of an "associate".

Note 16

An "associate" of the proposed premises user is:

a.  the spouse or civil partner of that person;

b.  a child, parent, grandchild, grandparent, brother or sister of that person;

c.  an agent or employee of that person; or

d.  the spouse or civil partner of a person within (b) or (c).

For these purposes, a person living with another as that person's husband or wife is to be treated as that person's spouse. 

Note 17

It is a requirement that you send at least one copy of this notice to the licensing authority at least ten working days (or five working days for a late notice) before the commencement of the proposed licensable activities. The authority will give you written acknowledgement of the receipt of the notice. This will be important proof that you gave the notice and when you gave it for the purposes of the Act. Some premises may be situated in two licensing authority areas, for example, where a building or field straddles the local authority boundary. Where this is the case, at least one copy of the notice must be sent to each of the licensing authorities identified, together with the appropriate fee in each case. In such circumstances, you will receive acknowledgements from all the relevant licensing authorities.

One copy must be sent to each of the chief officer of police and the local authority exercising environmental health functions for the area in which the premises is situated at least ten working days for a standard notice (or five working days for a late notice) before the commencement of the proposed licensable activities. Where the premises are situated in two police areas or environmental health areas, a further copy will need to be sent to the further police force and local authority exercising environmental health functions. 

Note 18

Under the Licensing Act 2003, all temporary event notices are given subject to a mandatory condition requiring that where the licensable activities involve the supply of alcohol, all such supplies must be made by or under the authority of the named premises user. If there is a breach of this condition, the premises user and the individual making the supply in question would be liable to prosecution. For this purpose, the supply of alcohol includes both of the first two licensable activities listed in note 6 above.

Note 19

It is an offence knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement in, or in connection with, a temporary event notice. (A person is to be treated as making a false statement if he produces, furnishes, signs or otherwise makes use of a document that contains a false statement.) To do so could result in prosecution and an unlimited fine.

Note 20

You should not complete section 10 of the notice, which is for use by the licensing authority. It may complete this section as one means of giving you written acknowledgement of its receipt of the notice.