Hosting an event in Tewkesbury Borough
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Hosting an event in the Tewkesbury borough
Thousands of borough residents and visitors enjoy a wide range of events both public and private in Tewkesbury and the surrounding areas every year.
We encourage and welcome organisations hosting events across the Borough and want to help them run a safe and successful event. The event organiser is responsible for all aspects of the event (including the impact of covid-19 in line with government guidance and legislation) and needs to consider the wellbeing of attendees and any potential inconvenience the event may have on local residents, pedestrians and traffic not attending the event.
Notification of event requirements
Notification of an event should be sent to the council at least 8 weeks prior to the event and will need to adhere to current government guidance and legislation. Dependent on the level of risk involved in the planned event, e.g. numbers of attendees, location etc. an event safety management plan may be required and should include a health and safety risk assessment and a site layout plan. If you are unsure what documents to submit when completing the notification of intended event online form please leave a brief description of your event in the applicable box provided and we will get back to you stating what documents are required.
Safety Advisory Group
On receipt of event documentation, they will be sent out to the Safety Advisory Group for their awareness and comment. The organisers of the event may be asked to attend a Safety Advisory Group meeting dependent on the level of risk involved in the planned event and size of the event.
SAGs provide a forum for discussing and advising on public safety at an event. They aim to help organisers with the planning, and management of an event and to encourage cooperation and coordination between all relevant agencies which include environmental health, licensing, police, highways, fire authority and ambulance service. SAGs are non-statutory bodies and so do not have legal powers or responsibilities and are not empowered to approve or prohibit events from taking place. Event organisers and others involved in the running of an event, retain the principal legal duties for ensuring public safety. For full detail please see the following link The role of a local authority Safety Advisory Group (SAG).
Voluntary and community events
Voluntary and community events are an important aspect of everyday life that help encourage people to play a more active part in society. They may celebrate a particular occasion, raise funds for a good cause or simply bring people in a community closer together. This guide should clear up any confusion over issues such as health and safety and food hygiene, which people often think will get in the way. Organising a successful event is really all about good planning and taking sensible precautions where necessary.
Event safety
The council can offer advice to event organisers on health and safety, food safety and licensing requirements.
Guidance on noise management requirements for music events can be found here. The code is designed to assist those planning a music event, those responsible for licensing such events and those responsible for enforcing the nuisance provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Control of Pollution Act 1974.
Any events that include mobile food vendors, should provide details of the food mobile catering units to the Environmental Health Team at least 2 weeks prior to the event. This information should include name and address of food business, contact telephone number, the local authority that the business is registered with and their food rating. Emails containing this information to be sent to eh.enquiries@tewkesbury.gov.uk or included in the submitted event documentation.
HSE (Health & Safety Executive) guidance – Help for local businesses to ensure their events run safely
Good planning and organisation are essential to putting on an event that is both safe and enjoyable.
HSE have published guidance for organisers on how to plan, manage and monitor events. It helps event organisers make sure workers and the visiting public are not exposed to health and safety risks, and event organisers, venue owners or volunteers can find out more about their responsibilities.
Depending on the size of the event, organisers may also need to take extra steps in order to manage crowds safely.
If you would like advice on appropriate event safety management plans for your event, please contact us.
FAQs
In the first instance an application to use council land/premises will need to be completed – to obtain an application form email land.licence@tewkesbury.gov.uk.
If you intend to host an event, please complete our notification of intended event online form – if this is not possible please contact us by emailing eh.enquiries@tewkesbury.gov.uk or telephone 01684 272195.
The earlier you do this the more time you are providing to secure agreement for your event to proceed and any relevant licenses to be issued. The council will review your event documents and can give you advice on how to manage your event whilst reducing risks to the local area.
Licences and permits may be needed for the event being planned, all of which require a consultation period; therefore, applications need to be made as early as possible to ensure the relevant licences / permits are obtained in time for the planned event.
Even when all the necessary permissions are granted the council may still be required to take enforcement action if it is considered that the event represents a serious and imminent threat to public health and safety, therefore we would encourage event organisers to engage with us in order to discuss health and safety requirements.
Once we have received notification of an event, if applicable, which will be dependent on risk, we will refer the associated documents to the local SAG (Safety Advisory Group) and may, if necessary, invite the organiser to a SAG meeting to discuss the event.
The role of a local authority SAG is to provide a forum for discussing and advising on public safety at an event. They aim to help organisers with the planning, and management of an event and to encourage cooperation and coordination between all relevant agencies.
Members of the SAG include the following agencies: Environmental Health, Licensing, Police, Highways, Ambulance Authority, Fire Authority and public transport companies if applicable.