Temporary use notices (TUNs) allow a premises to be used for gambling on a temporary basis, where there is no premises licence in place. Premises that might be suitable for a TUN would include hotels, conference centres, and sporting venues.

We can only grant a TUN to a person or company holding a relevant operating licence issued by the Gambling Commission.

The type of gambling allowed under a TUN is restricted to any form of equal chance gaming where those taking part in the gaming are taking part in a competition which is intended to produce a single, overall winner - not by use of a machine.

An example of this might be a poker tournament.

Applications

A TUN must be lodged with us not less than three months and one day before the day on which the gambling event will begin.

The fees we currently charge under the Gambling Act 2005 can be found on our Licensing Fees and Charges page.

Your application and fee should be sent to: Licensing, Wychavon District Council, The Civic Centre, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Pershore, Worcestershire, WR10 1PT

Your application must also be copied to the following addresses:

• The Gambling Commission, Victoria Square House, Victoria Square, Birmingham, B2 4BP
• West Mercia Police, Worcester Police Station, Castle Street, Worcester, WR1 3QX
• H M Revenue & Customs, National Registration Unit (Betting & Gaming), Portcullis House, 21 India Street, Glasgow, G2 4PZ

document Download Temporary Use Notification form (standard) (99 KB)

If the application is in respect of a vessel, please use the form below:

document Download Temporary Use Notice form (Vessel) (108 KB)

Gambling Act 2005  - Publication of Revised Statement of Principles

Wychavon District Council has published a revised statement of the principles they propose to apply in exercising their functions under the Gambling Act 2005 during the three-year period beginning with the date that the statement takes effect.

The revised statement was published on 23^rd December 2024 and took effect on 31^st January 2025.

The revised statement can be inspected: pdf REVISED SOP (WDC) (731 KB)

The revised statement is also available for inspection by appointment at Civic Centre, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Pershore, Worcestershire, WR10 1PT

To make an appointment to inspect the revised statement, please call 01905 822799.

If you are the holder of a premises licence and you want to make small alterations to the premises licence that will not impact adversely on the licensing objectives, you can apply for a minor variation of the licence.

When we receive an application for a minor variation, we must consider whether the changes being proposed could impact adversely on the licensing objectives.

When considering an application, we have to consult with other relevant authorities if there is any doubt about the impact the proposed changes will have on the licensing objectives and we think we need specialist advice.

We will then take the views of these authorities into account in reaching our decision.

Further guidance on minor variations can be downloaded here:  document Guidance notes document on minor variations (126 KB) .

Further guidance on variation applications can be found on the Alcohol Licensing on the GOV website.

Apply by post

You can apply for a minor variation to your premises licence by post to this address:

Licensing, Wychavon District Council, The Civic Centre, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Pershore, Worcestershire, WR10 1PT.

• document Application form for a minor variation to a Premises Licence (58 KB)

You should include with your application the existing premises licence, any other relevant documents and the fee of £89.00.

When you have made your application, you then have to advertise it by displaying a public notice at the relevant premises for a period of 10 working days, starting on the working day after the minor variation application was given to us. The public notice must be on white paper of at least A4 size.

A template for the public notice can be downloaded here:

• document Public Notice Template document for a Minor Variation (293 KB)

Will tacit consent apply?

Yes. If after the 10 working day consultation period has expired and no representations have been made by a responsible authority or other persons, then we will approve the minor variation.

If any representations have been received, we have a further five working days to consider them and will decide whether to approve or reject the application.

If the minor variation is approved, we will issue a notice outlining the minor variation to the premises licence.

We will also issue a new licence to reflect the minor variation.

Revaluation

Business Rates Revaluation 2026

Significant changes are taking place to Business Rates from 1 April this year. We know these changes, introduced by the Government, are causing some concern for businesses, particularly in the hospitality industry.

Read our Business Rates Revaluation 2026 explainer article to find out what’s changing and why, as well as find out what action you may be able to take if you are worried about your bills increasing significantly.

Revaluation 2023 and Transitional Arrangements (2023)

All rateable values are reassessed at a general revaluation. The next revaluation will come into place on 1 April 2023. Revaluations make sure each ratepayer pays their fair contribution and no more, by ensuring that the share of the national rates bill paid by any one ratepayer reflects changes over time in the value of their property relative to others.

A transitional relief scheme limits changes in rate bills as a result of the (2023) revaluation. Under the transitional scheme, limits continue to apply to yearly increases until the full amount is due (rateable value times the appropriate multiplier). The scheme applies only to the bill based on a property at the time of the revaluation. If there are any changes to the property after (2023), transitional arrangements will not normally apply to the part of a bill that relates to any increase in rateable value due to those changes.

Changes to your bill as a result of other reasons (such as changes to the amount of small business rate relief) are not covered by the transitional arrangements. The transitional arrangements are applied automatically and are shown on the front of your bill. Further information about transitional arrangements and other reliefs may be obtained from your local authority or the website www.gov.uk/introduction-to-business-rates. More information on the (2023) revaluation can be found at www.gov.uk/introduction-to-business-rates/revaluation

At the Autumn Statement on 17 November 2022, the government announced a new transitional relief scheme. The scheme for 2023/24 will restrict increases in bills to 5% for business with small properties (up to and including £20,000 rateable value, 15% for rateable values between £20001 up to £100,000 and 30% for rateable values over 1000,000).

Business Rates discounts

If you have exceeded the cash cap limit, no longer wish to claim retail relief or have any queries in regards to this please contact the team by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 03004 560 560.

Pubs and Live Music Venues Relief

The Government has announced that from April 2026, every pub and live music venue will get 15% off its new business rates bill on top of the support 
announced at Budget and that bills will be frozen for a further two years.

Read the Changes to Pubs and Live Music Venues Relief for more information.

A new online estimator tool has been published to help you understand how the new relief reduces your 2026-27 business rates bill.

Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief Scheme

From April 2026, the current discount on business rates for shops, hospitality and leisure will end. A new, lower multiplier will be used instead, confirmed in the 2025 Autumn Budget.

Read about the changes to Retail, Hospitality & Leisure from 1st April 2026

Supporting Small Businesses Relief

At the 2022 Autumn Statement the Chancellor announced that the 2023 Supporting Small Business (SSB) scheme will cap bill increases at £600 per year for any business losing eligibility for some or all Small Business Rate Relief or Rural Rate Relief at the 2023 revaluation. SSB was first introduced at the 2017 revaluation to support ratepayers facing bill increases greater than the Transitional Relief caps due to loss of Small Business Rate Relief or Rural Rate Relief.

For further guidance please visit GOV.UK.

Changes to Supporting Small Business Relief from 1 April 2026

From April 2026 this scheme has changed, for more details visit the Supporting small business relief page.

Advice and support

Visit our Business page has more information about other types of support available.

Other types of Business Rates Relief

Your business property may qualify for relief on business rates,  pdf read the Wychavon Guidelines for Awarding Rate Relief (246 KB)  for supplementary information. See the range of reductions available below.

Empty property

Business Rates is not be payable for the first three months that a property is empty. After the 3-month period, rates will be charged at 100% unless the property is exempt e.g. listed buildings, empty properties owned by charities and community amateur sports clubs. Some properties are eligible for extended empty property relief, find out more about exempted buildings and empty buildings relief on GOV.UK.

Partially empty property

If only part of the premises is being used it may be possible to reduce the amount of business rates that are paid.

The relief would stop if:

• the unoccupied part becomes occupied
• the property becomes completely unoccupied  

If you wish to claim or inquire about this relief you should contact us immediately, and we will arrange for one of our Visiting Officers to visit your premises.

View contact information

Small Business Rate Relief

• To qualify your property's rateable value must be less than £15,000
• Your business only uses one property - you may still be able to get relief if you use more 

Qualifying businesses with a rateable value of £12,000 or below currently get 100% relief. This relief will decrease on a sliding scale for rateable values between £12,000 to £15,000. In addition, such businesses will have their bill calculated using the small business rates non-domestic rates multiplier.

Qualifying businesses with a rateable value between £15,001 - £51,000 will have their bill calculated using the small business rates non-domestic rates multiplier.

If you wish to apply, the please complete the online Application for Small Business Rate Relief

Rural Rate Relief

Businesses in a Rural Settlement  could qualify for Mandatory or Discretionary Rural Rate Relief on their Non Domestic Rates bill.

A list of the areas that are designated Rural Settlement list is available on our website or in our contact centres at Pershore, Evesham and Droitwich.  pdf View Rural Settlement list (196 KB)

Mandatory Rural Rate Relief

To qualify for 100% Mandatory Rural Rate Relief, your business premises must:

• be within the boundaries of a qualifying rural settlement.
• have a rateable value of not more than £8,500 in the case of a Post Office, general store or food shop.
• have a rateable value of not more than £12,500 in the case of a public house or petrol filling station.
• be used in whole or in part, as a general store, Post Office or both, or as a public house, food shop or petrol filling station.
• be either the only general store, the only Post Office, the only public house or the only petrol filling station in the rural settlement. 

Complete the online Mandatory Rural Rate Relief form.

Discretionary Rural Rate Relief

We may grant up to 50% relief to any general store, food shop, Post Office, public house or petrol filling station which does not qualify for the Mandatory Rural Rate Relief.

• A business can apply for Discretionary Rural Rate Relief of 50% provided that it:
• is within the boundaries of a qualifying rural settlement.
• has a rateable value of less than £16,500.
• is used for purposes which are of benefit to the local community, and
• is reasonable for us to make such a decision having regard to the interests of persons liable to pay Council Tax set by it.

Complete the online Discretionary Rural Rate Relief form.

Charitable and Discretionary Relief

Registered charities, charitable organisations and Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASC's) are entitled to relief from rates on any non-domestic property that is wholly or mainly used for charitable purposes.

• Relief is given at 80 per cent of the bill. We have the discretion to give a further 20% relief on the remaining bill depending upon what the premises are used for.
• We also have the discretion to give up to 50% discretionary relief on all or part of any rate bill for property occupied by certain non-profit making organisations for example; sports clubs, societies, village halls and youth associations.

Complete the online Mandatory and Discretionary Relief form.

You can get further information on Rate Relief by visiting the Business Rates page on the GOV.UK website.

Hardship Relief

Businesses may be entitled to a reduction from rates if they are suffering hardship and they can show that the local community would suffer a loss if the business was to close.  

As each case needs to be determined on its merits you should contact us for further information.