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Who needs a notice and how to submit a TEN

You'll need to submit a Temporary Event Notice (TENs) if you're holding an event with licensable activities.

Licensable activities

You'll need a temporary event notice for:

  • live entertainment such as plays, films, recorded music, indoor sporting events, live music and dance performances, with some exceptions 
  • sale of hot food or hot drink between 11pm and 5am
  • sale and supply, by retail, of alcohol

Before you submit your TEN 

Read our pdf TENs guidance (249 KB) .

You must also check:

  • if you need any other permissions, such as permission from the landowner to use the site
  • if there are any restrictions, such as restrictions on planning permission or restrictions on your lease

The TEN will not override these permissions and you must make sure you are complying with all restrictions.

Events on Council land also required permission from the Council. Normally this is through the events and site permissions team.

When to submit your TEN 

We must receive your Standard Temporary Event Notice (TENs) at least 10 working days before your event.

We can accept a notice no later than five working days before your event but this will be a Late Temporary Event Notice (late TENs).

These timescales do not include bank or public holidays, weekends, the day the notice is submitted, or the day of the event. 

The process and forms are the same for both Standard and Late Temporary Event Notices.

Who can submit a TEN and limits on how many times you can submit a TEN

To apply for TENs you must:

    • be over 18
    • have given less than five TENs including up to two late TENs in the current calendar year for non-Personal Licence Holders
    • have have given less than fifty TENs including up to 10 late TENs in the current calendar year if you're a Personal Licence Holder

The TEN must:

  • involve no more than 499 people at your event at any one time including staff and performers
  • last no longer than 168 hours 

Limits on how many times you can submit an application

You can only have:

  • a maximum of 15 TENs per year for the same premises
  • an overall limit of no more than 21 event days

There must be at least a 24 hour gap between TENs given for the same premises by the same person. 

Submit  a Temporary Event Notice

Online

Submit a Temporary Event Notice

We'll send a copy of your TEN to the Police and Environmental Health.
You'll need to pay a fee of £21 

Other ways to submit a TEN 

You'll need to give us a:

  • copy of the TEN marked 'Licensing'
  • copy of the TEN marked 'Environmental Health, c/o Licensing' 
  • cheque or postal order for £21.00 made payable to Bristol City Council 

You'll also need to:

  • post a copy of the notice to Chief Officer of Police, Licensing, First Floor, PO Box 3119, Bristol, BS1 9GG 
  • or deliver a copy of the notice by hand to the Chief Officer, Joint Enforcement Team, The Bridewell, 1-2 Bridewell Street, Bristol.  BS1 2AA

The Police, Environmental Health and Licensing must receive your notice at least five working days for Late TENs and at least 10 working days for standard TENs before your event.

These timescales do not include bank or public holidays, weekends, the day the notice is submitted, or the day of the event. 

What happens next

When you submit a TEN we'll send you an acknowledgement letter.  You won’t get anything else from us unless an objection is received. You’ll need to display the acknowledgement letter at the event.

If you've reached any of the limits on TENS for the current calendar year we'll send a counter notice. This means the licensable activity won't be authorised and isn't permitted to take place. 

If the Chief Officer of the Police and/or Environmental Health objects to a TEN, they'll issue an objection notice before the end of the third working day after they've received the notice.

If the objection relates to a standard TEN then the licensing authority will arrange a hearing for the objection to be heard, along with your case for why the notice should be allowed. We’ll hold a hearing within seven working days of the objection period. You’ll get a decision on the day of the hearing.

If the objection relates to a late TEN, we must issue a counter notice, and we'll send you this no later than 24 hours before the event. The licensable activity wont be authorised and therefore isn’t permitted to take place. 

If you want someone else to discuss your application or licence with us on your behalf, you'll need to give us written permission.

Tacit consent

Tacit consent applies to Temporary Event Notices.

This means that you can assume your notice has been granted after 10 working days unless you've heard from us that there have been representations from responsible authorities.