Licensing Hub – Legal with Poppleston Allen
Top tips: making the most of the UK summer
In the UK, we are unfortunate not to get a consistent summer of good weather. So it’s crucial for operators to try and maximise every sunny spell possible for that extra trade it can bring in.
A good way of doing this is through the use of temporary event notices (TENs). Whether this is for an all-day family event, a late-night music event, a sporting event or just the addition of an extra few hours to make the most of the sunshine, here are a few things you should consider:
- Review what your premises licence allows you to do already. It’s worth a good look to check and refresh yourself of the licensable activities covered by the premises licence, the hours licensable activities can take place and any conditions that may need consideration and addressing. There are ways to maximise the TENs you apply for by being creative about what you apply for and the hours you seek, to minimise any potential objections.
- Consider what area is covered by the plan attached to the premises licence. It may be that your outside area is not covered by the premises licence, or it may have conditions that restrict its use, you may have off-sales or be permitted outdoor activities for some licensable activities and not others. If any conditions need to be disapplied for the event to take place, then using a TEN will often be a way of doing this.
- Consider when you want your event and how far in advance you notify authorities of the TEN. If you are relying upon the weather, you may choose to wait until near the event date in order to see whether the weather is going to hold out. Don’t forget, there are two types of TENs, a ‘standard TEN’ and a ‘late TEN’. e minimum notice periods for each respectively are 10 clear working days and five clear working days prior to the event. Therefore, you need to choose which you apply for in each circumstance, remembering the risk of an objection to a late TEN resulting in the event not being able to go ahead at all.
- Double check how many TENs have been used at the premises already this year and how many are, therefore, available. Operators should try to make the most of TENs and planning the events for the rest of the year will ensure that you maximise every opportunity for additional trade, while being compliant with the maximum number allowed for the premises.
For any legal enquiries please visit Poppleston Allen's website.
