Licensing Act 2003
Temporary Events (less than 500 people)
Where a Licence would be needed for an event for a short period only, it may be possible to use the Temporary Event Notice procedures that have been created by the Licensing Act 2003. These will apply for certain occasions when a licensable activity would take place at small-scale events (for no more than 499 people at a time and lasting for no more than 96 hours). The Notice replaces the occasional permissions/licences that were issued by the Justices and the Occasional Public Entertainment Licence issued by the Council. The Temporary Event Notice is an advance notification to the Police and the Licensing Authority that an event is to take place.
Temporary Event Notices are subject to the following conditions and limitations:-
- The duration is limited to a period of up to 96 hours
- They cannot involve the presence of more than 499 people at any one time
- The same area/premises can be used for up to 12 occasions in a calendar year, but the aggregate number of days must not exceed 15
- A Personal Licence holder is limited to 50 per year
- A person not holding a Personal or Event area Licence is limited to 5 per year
If the above conditions are not fulfilled, a temporary event at which licensable activities are to take place would require a premises licence covering the event area.
The Act requires at least ten working days notice to be given to the Police and the Licensing Authority prior to the date of the event on the prescribed Notice. The Police can only object to a Temporary Event Notice if the event is likely to undermine the crime prevention objective. In the event of a relevant representation from the Police, the Licensing Authority will hold a hearing not less than 24 hours before the event is due to take place.
The Licensing Authority recommends that at least 28 days notice be given of the holding of such events to allow consideration of the application and full guidance to be given to organisers to run their event in a proper manner and to pass on any relevant local information. The organisers may find it useful to refer to “Guide to Health, Safety & Welfare at Pop Concerts and Similar Events)".
Temporary Event Notifications
A list of Temporary Event Notifications
Guidance for organisers
When planning an event the organiser should consider the following guidance as there is no involvement by the Fire Safety Officer, Health & Safety Officer or Noise Control Officers in the notice procedure. If any problems are found or suspected at the event it is for these officers to enforce the legislation that they are responsible for by serving the appropriate notice on the event organisers. This list is not exhaustive and is intended only as a guide as to the types of issue that the event organiser ought to consider.
Do you have the following safety certificates (where appropriate), each signed by a competent person, confirming that the installation has been inspected and complies with the current safety standards, have been given.
- Fire Alarm System, if installed - valid for 1 year
- Emergency Escape Lighting, if installed - valid for 1 year
- Boiler, if within same building - valid for 1 year
- Certificate of Electrical Safety - valid for up to 5 years from date of issue
NOTE: If certification is not by a NICEIC member, the Certificate of Electrical Safety is valid only for 1 year.
Has a fire retardance test certificate for any marquee, tent, drapes or similar material been provided?
Is the event area safe to use for the licensable activities?
What steps are you taking to ensure that:-
- all escape routes are kept clear, all exit doors open easily, all fire extinguishers are charged and in place and that warning and emergency escape lighting systems (if installed) are working?
- attendants/stewards are given instructions on their essential responsibilities in case of fire or other emergency;
- storage areas (e.g. under-stage areas, rooms, basements, etc.) which may contain combustible materials or flammable substances are lined with fire resisting materials.
The event organiser is recommended to consult the Fire Authority and comply with any fire preventive and safety measures that may be recommended including provision of fire fighting equipment.
All hand lamps and emergency lighting at the event should be in working order and should be checked.
Artificial lighting should be operative during the whole time it may be required to facilitate means of escape from the event.
The event area should be provided with an adequate number of exits so placed and maintained as to afford the public ready and ample means of exit and dispersal from the event area. All means of exit from the event area should be clearly marked as such, and illuminated to the satisfaction of the Fire Authority.
Where the audience is seated, clear and unobstructed gangways of not less than 1 metre in width should be provided and maintained leading direct to exit routes. No seat should be more than 3.5 metres from a gangway measured parallel with the row of seating.
There must be at least 300mm between the back of each seat and the front of the seat behind it.
Where the audience exceeds 250, chairs should be fixed in groups of not less than four and not more than 12.
If chains, padlocks or other locking devices are used for securing exit doors when the public are not in the event area, a responsible person should be required to remove such chains, padlocks or other devices before the admission of the public, and such chains, padlocks or
other devices should not be replaced during the whole time the public are present in the event area.
All fire resisting doors and smoke-stop doors at the event area should be maintained, self-closing and should not be secured open.
Special regard should be given to the needs of people with disabilities to enable them to leave safely in the event of an emergency.
All furniture, furnishings, fixed decorations, curtains, drapes or similar items should conform to the performance requirements of Table 1 of BS 7177 or its EU equivalent.
Accumulations of rubbish, dust or refuse should be kept in proper containers and should be regularly removed from the event .
Prior advice of any proposed use of naked flame, smoke machines, lasers or pyrotechnics should be sought from the responsible authority.
The Fire Service should be called to any outbreak or suspected outbreak of fire.
The surfaces or surface coverings of all floors, steps and landings at the event should be free of cracks, holes or other irregularities.
The edges of steps and stairs at the event should be conspicuously marked. Exit routes from the event area should at no point be less than the total width of exits discharging on to them. All paths should be kept clear of obstruction, adequately surfaced and illuminated.
All floor coverings should be secured and maintained so that they will not be likely to ruck and cause unevenness.
All electrical wiring, fittings and appliances at the event should be constructed, installed, having regard to statutory regulations and the current British Standard.
A sensitive earth-leakage protection system (residual current device) should be installed and maintained as part of the wiring installation of the event. The device should be designed to operate if the earth-leakage current exceeds 0.03A and should have a maximum operating time of 30 milliseconds. A test button should be incorporated and operated before each entertainment commences.
Any gas installation at the event should comply with the current Gas (Safety) Regulations.
Any heating installation at the event should comply with the current Statutory Regulations and Codes of Practice.
All heaters at the event should be permanently fixed in position and should be fitted with appropriate protective guards.
Sanitary accommodation at the event, which should be under cover and separate for each sex, should be provided to the appropriate standard.
Adequate First Aid provision should be made.
The event organiser should consider what steps should be taken to ensure that noise from the entertainment does not cause a nuisance to persons in the neighbourhood, and is so controlled as to be inaudible at all times within any neighbouring residential accommodation.
The event organiser should consider what steps should be taken to ensure that as far as practicable all persons leaving the event area do so in such a manner that persons resident of the neighbourhood are not unreasonably disturbed by noise, or unruly or unsocial behaviour.
The event organiser should consider what steps should be taken to ensure that no person is exposed to sound pressure levels likely to cause physical injury.
If you have any queries or wish to discuss any of the above please contact the Licensing Officer on 01329 236100.
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