Temporary event notice

A Temporary Event Notice is used to authorise licensable activities either outside the scope or time of an existing licence or to permit an unlicensed premises to carry out licensable activities for a short period of time.

Temporary events notices are a way to obtain authorisation for a small, one-off event at a premises or area (including outdoors) where or when licensable activities are not normally authorised.

If you wish to hold an ad-hoc event in Sunderland, you may give a temporary event notice to the council. If the premises where the event is to be held is in an area governed by two or more councils, a notice must be given to each council.

Unless you submit an electronic application you must also give a copy of the notice to the Police and Environmental Health.

You must be 18 years or older to give a Temporary Event Notice and can give a maximum of five standard Temporary Event Notices per year. If you are a personal licence holder, you can give a maximum of 50 standard Temporary Event Notices per year.

Your event must involve no more than 499 people at any one time and last no more than 168 hours with a minimum of 24 hours between events.

Eligibility criteria

An activity that can be licensed must be carried out as detailed in a notice that is given.

The notice must be in a specific format and must be made by someone over 18 years of age.

The notice should contain:

If alcohol is to be supplied, a statement confirming that it is a condition of using the premises that the supplies are made under the premises user's authority

A statement relating to:

Details of the licensable activities
The event period
The times when during that period the activities will take place
The maximum number of people proposed to be allowed on the premises
Any other required matters
Any other required information

Application evaluation process

Standard temporary event notice process

The temporary event notice must be given in writing (including by electronic means, such as email) to the council at least ten working days before the event. A fee is payable with the notice.

The council will acknowledge receipt of the notice by giving a notice to the premises user before the end of the first working day it was received or before the end of the second working day if the day the notice was received is not a working day.

Unless an application has been submitted electronically, the premises user must also give notice to the chief officer of the local police and the local environmental health manager no later than ten working days before the event period.

If the chief police officer or environmental health manager believes that the event would undermine any of the licensing objectives, they can serve an objection notice on the council and the premises user. This notice must be served within three working days of receipt of the temporary event notice.

The council must hold a hearing if an objection notice is served. At this hearing conditions may be added to the temporary event notice. They may also issue a counter notice if they consider it appropriate for the promotion of the licensing objectives. A decision must be made at least 24 hours before the beginning of the event.

A police chief or environmental health manager may modify the temporary event notice with the consent of the premises user. In such a case an objection notice will be deemed to have been withdrawn.

Counter notices may be provided by the council if the number of permitted temporary event notices has been exceeded.

Late temporary event notice process

The council can accept a limited number of temporary event notices from a person which were given after the normal ten working day cut-off.

The temporary event notice must be given in writing (including by electronic means) to the council at least five to nine working days before the start of the event. A fee is payable with the notice.

Unless an application has been submitted electronically, the premises user must also give notice to the chief officer of the local police and the environmental health manager no later than five working days before the event period.

Temporary event notices served on any party (meaning, the council's Licensing section, the police or the council's environmental health manager) five to nine working days before the start of the event will be classed as late temporary event notices, and will be subject to special provisions. The late temporary event notices rules will apply even if two of the three parties received their copies on time.

Only two late temporary event notices per person per calendar year can be given (or ten with a Personal Licence). Any further late temporary event notices given beyond this limit will be rejected. This limit applies nationwide - if you have given your limit of late temporary event notices to other licensing authorities, you will not be able to give any in Sunderland.

As previous the chief Police officer and environmental health manager who receives a notice and believes that the event would undermine any of the licensing objectives can object to the notice and a counter notice cancelling the temporary event notice must be given by the council no later than 24 hours before the start of the event. There is no requirement for a hearing in relation to a late temporary event notice.

Counter notices may also be given by the council if the number of permitted temporary event notices has been exceeded.

Application fee

The application fee for both standard and late temporary event notices is £21.00

Apply for a temporary event notice

Alternatively a form may be downloaded at the Home Office and posted to the responsible authorities. Payment by cheque may be made out to Sunderland City Council should be sent to the Licensing Section.

Will ''tacit consent'' apply?

Tacit consent is available for this application. Our target completion period for processing applications is five working days from the time when all required documentation and fees have been submitted.

This means that you will be able to act as though your application is granted if you have not heard from us by the end of the target completion period.

Public register

Under the Licensing Act 2003 the council is required to keep a record of temporary event notices received by it, notices withdrawn, counter notices given by it and temporary event notices amended with police consent.

A public register is available to view by appointment during the hours Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5.00pm at the City Centre Customer Services Centre, City Hall , Plater Way , Sunderland SR1 3AA.

Contact our City and Neighbourhood Team to book an appointment.

Failed application redress

Please contact our City and Neighbourhood Team in the first instance.

You have the right to seek a review of any refusal to grant or renew your application or the imposition of conditions to your approval, or revocation of your approval.

You must deliver your request for review to the City Centre Customer Services Centre at City Hall , Plater Way , Sunderland SR1 3AA during the times shown above.

This service is provided in partnership with the European EUGO network.