Red tape over events licence under scrutiny in Westminster
Anne-Marie Jordan lives in Underriver and is secretary for the village association.
She wrote to Seveno aks MP Michael Fallon to highlight the lengthy and complicated process of applying for a temporary events notice when she holds charity events in the village hall.
Mrs Jordan said: "When we want to sell alcohol at any events at the village hall it's always for charity but you have to get a licence from the council.
"You have to pay £21 each time but the form filling and posting is ridiculous when you are just volunteers."
She said six pages of information have to be filled in, but because she has to keep one copy and send others to the council and police, it means 24 sheets of paper have to be printed each time she applies.
"They have given us an alternative but they have sent lots of paper out as an alternative – 33 pages – and I don't even understand what it says," Mrs Jordan said.
"You have to be a lawyer to understand it."
Tory Mr Fallon raised the issue during the Queen's Speech debate at the Houses of Commons on December 3.
He said: "It's ludicrous, having to fill in so many pages and then not being able to submit them online.
"This could easily have been left to the council and the local police who would have come up with a far simpler system."
He added the situation could be changed, saying the Licensing Act could, and should, be amended.
Sevenoaks District Council spokesman Steve Mandaluff said: "Temporary Event Notices (Tens) are statutory forms set out by central Government as part of the Licensing Act 2003.
"Anyone across the country applying for a Ten will be required to complete exactly the same form."
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