Hire a local park for an event
Your responsibilities an event organiser
We recommend you read our park hire terms and conditions before you apply to hire our parks, as there maybe some key areas that will have an impact on your ideas for your event.
We also recommend checking out other events nearby to avoid clashes.
Contact us to discuss your event as soon as possible
Our parks are really popular with other event bookings, so please contact us as soon as you are able to find out if the zone(s) you want to hire is available.
If your event will exceed 500 attendees, require road closures, will include the sale of food and/or drink (including alcohol) and/or include entertainment to the public, you will need to first express an interest in hosting an event through the events and festivals process before we can let you know whether or not your event can be accommodated.
If your event will not exceed 500 attendees, will not require road closures, will not feature the sale of food and/or drink (including alcohol) and not include entertinement to the public, you will still need to consider a wide range of factors detailed below, and our parks team can help you to think about what you need to consider.
To check availablity or request our support, please email our parks team with an outline of your plans, your chosen dates and areas you want to hire and we'll get back to you.
Create an event plan
We always recommend you create an event plan, and depending on the size of your event, form a committee to deliver the event (if you are a community group).
This will allow you to share out the tasks and responsibilities, including fundraising, marketing, health and safety, and project planning.
Regardless of the size your event, your event plan should consider:
Safety and first aid
All events must have plans in place to respond effectively to health and safety incidents and other emergencies that might occur at the event. In most cases you will need to discuss your plans local emergency services, including police and fire.
The HSE website provides detailed guide on planning for incidents and emergencies at events, which we recommend you follow:
View the HSE running an event safely guide
You must also consider the first aid you will need to provide at your event.
The Events Industry Forum's 'purple guide' includes example first-aid and medical assessments for an audience at an event.
There is a small subscription fee to access to the Purple Guide website.
Risk assesment
You will need to carry out a risk assessment to identify potential risks and hazards and decide on what precautions you are going to put in place.
Risk assessments do not always need to be large documents - small events may only be a page or so long.
It’s really important they are relevant and contain realistic ways of controlling/mitigating the risks.
Plans should be put in place, as part of the risk assessment process, detailing how you would deal with an emergency, including personal accidents, lost children, adults at risk, staff/volunteer training or adverse weather conditions.
Insurance
All events in parks must hold a valid public liability insurance policy for a minimum £5 million.
You may also need employer’s liability to cover your event staff and others linked to the event.
You must also obtain evidence of anyone helping/working at the event, from stall holders to performers, to ensure they are adequately covered for their activities, protecting the event.
A site plan
You will need to create a site plan that details the event areas, along with the location of toilets, first aid points, emergency exits, car parking, fire extinguishers, litter bins and skips - is an essential part of running events, for the organisers, emergency services, park management and the event attendees.
Toilet provision
You will need to estimate how many people your event is likely to attract and provide adequate toilet facilities. As a general rule of thumb, one toilet is rquired for every 50 - 100 guests. There are some toilets in Beacon Park, however if your event will exceed available toilets you will need to consider additional provision.
Waste disposal
You will need to consider what waste bins you need to provide at the event and afterwards to ensure a safe clean up
Getting other landowner consent
You might need other landowners’ consent if the event crosses boundaries. We can only give consent for the part of an event that takes place on our own parks.
Clearing up after your event
You need to plan to leave the site as you found it. This often takes longer than expected, which needs to be accounted for in your event plan. You are accountable for the site until it is cleared.
Traffic management plan
You may need a traffic management plan looking at the impact the event will have on the highway and neighbouring properties, how many vehicles to expect, how cars will be directed to your event, where cars will park and will this impact on emergency services.
Wider approvals
Depending on the type and size of your proposed event you may need to apply for a premises licence and/or attend a safety advisory group (SAG). This is where you meet with various agencies, including the police, fire service and ambulance service, to help you deliver an event that is as safe as it can be.