Temporary event notices (TENs)

Temporary event notices (TENs) enable small-scale, public events to take place at a location that is not already licensed without the need for a full premises licence, where one or more of the following licensable activities will take place:

• selling alcohol (or supplying it for free at a ticketed event)
• offering "regulated entertainment" such as plays, films, indoor sports, boxing or wrestling, music and dancing or similar
• supplying food above room temperature between 11pm and 5am

No more than 499 people, including staff, may attend the event at any one time. If there are 500 people or more, a full premises licence will be required.

Whether the event is intended for a charitable purpose or not makes no difference to the legal licensing requirements.

The applicant must be aged 18 or over.

There is an application fee of £21.

Before you apply

You must send us a correct application form well before the event takes place.

• A standard TEN must be received at least 10 working days before the event.
• A late TEN can be received 5-9 working days before the event, but if there are objections the event cannot take place.
• TENs received less than 5 working days before the event are not valid and the event cannot go ahead.
• You must apply well in advance. We recommend applying as soon as you are sure of the dates and times.

The day count does not include:

• the day on which the notice is received by the council
• the day the event begins
• bank holidays.

If a notice is not correctly made, for example if required elements are missing, it is not a valid notice and will be returned to you for completion.

How to apply

1. Complete the application form 
2. Pay the application fee of £21
3. Email your completed application form and payment receipt to licensing@merton.gov.uk

Applications received without proof of payment attached will be rejected and we will ask you to resubmit the application again with the proof of payment.

If the premises for your event crosses the borough boundary so that part of it is situated in another council area, you would need to send copies to that council in a similar way, as indicated on the application form.

Other things to be aware of

• A TEN can last for up to a maximum of 168 hours (this relates to the period during which licensable activities may be carried on, and does not relate to preparation, setting-up time, packing away or clearing up time).
• The same premises cannot be used on more than 15 occasions in any calendar year. In addition, each premises is subject to an overall aggregate of 21 days use, irrespective of the number of individual occasions on which they have been used.
• There must be a minimum of 24 hours between TENs at the same premises.
• Personal licence holders can apply for up to 50 Standard TENs or 10 Late TENs per year
• Non-personal licence holders can only apply for up to 5 Standard TENs or 2 Late TENs (throughout England and Wales) per year
• If an application is returned to you for being incomplete, you will be given the opportunity to resubmit your application without having to make payment again providing the amended application is received by 23:59 the same working day. Any application received after this timeframe will require another fee of £21.00.
• The fee of £21 is for acknowledging the notice regardless of the outcome. Should your TEN be void, the fee will not be refunded. Fees are also non-transferable should your event information change.

Contact us

Licensing
London Borough of Merton
Regulatory Services Partnership
Merton Civic Centre
London Road
Morden
SM4 5DX

Telephone: 020 8545 3969
Email: licensing@merton.gov.uk