There are no plans for extended hours over Christmas. So if you are planning events requiring additional licensed hours or activities, make sure you submit your temporary event notice (TEN) documentation to your local authority and police at least 10 working days in advance. Looking further ahead, ministers appear to have listened to police concerns about extended licensed hours during the Olympics.
A Home Office source has indicated a blanket extension has been ruled out. Licensees will be able to give TENs and hopefully, by the time of the Olympics, changes to the TENs system will be in force allowing a single TEN to cover seven days, rather than the current four.
Licensees may alternatively wish to apply for a variation to their licence, or a new licence with limited duration, to get extended hours for the whole of the Olympics and Paralympics. However, one London licensing authority source has confirmed TENs and variation applications will be assessed “as against the whole” of the resources available across the capital during the Games — and he warned many of those resources have already been allocated.
This means time is of the essence and any applications should be made as soon as possible. Those who leave applying until next year run a real risk of being refused.
Anna Mathias is a barrister with West End law firm Joelson Wilson LLP. Contact Joelson Wilson on 020 7580 5721 or email ahm@joelsonwilson.com
