Terms and Conditions

There should be a minimum two-week period between Major Events being held at the same venue, and no more than 10 Major Events should be held at any one venue in any 12-month period.

No more than one Major Event should take place on the same day in a single Park or green space (unless by prior planning).

Any proposed or approved Major Events, which follow these protocols timescales, will have precedence over any sports bookings taken by the booking agents. Sports bookings will need to be re-arranged.

All our decisions in connection with Events being held on our land or in our facilities are final.

Applications for corporate events, which are not open to the public will be approved on an individual basis and subject to individually negotiated fees and charges. We reserve the right to not approve any private events without justification.

During the approval process, the following are considered. If any of these are applicable, then an event will not be accepted.

• The Event organiser or their company has previously failed to comply with the Terms and Conditions as set out in their Licence Order & Acceptance Form or a corresponding licence with St Albans City & District Council.
• Event is likely to have an unacceptable impact on the site in which it is held and surrounding area, its infrastructure or biodiversity. Unacceptable impact is defined as an adverse effect that compromises the integrity or sustainability of the site or its surroundings. This includes any potential damage as perceived by the parks and greens spaces team that cannot be rectified within the reinstatement fee charged.
• Organisers do not provide the documentation requested by the Council within the required timescale.
• The event discriminates against the protected characteristics of an individual or group.
• The event is organised by extremist organisations as listed by the Government under its list of Proscribed Terrorist Groups or Organisations.
• The event contravenes the Council’s animal policy.
• The event is a political rally or organised by a group affiliated with a political organisation, defined as a collective of people or a group formed to influence or participate in political processes, often with the goal of shaping public policy, promoting specific ideologies, or supporting candidates for public office.

• Event organiser is unable to demonstrate a consideration for environmental factors that might contribute to the climate emergency.  

It is essential that you arrange insurance cover to indemnify yourselves against civil litigation. This is referred to as public liability insurance and details can be obtained from any reputable insurance company. In the case of Major Event, the minimum level of cover is £10million, and £5million in the case of other events. The original policy statement issued by the insurer, a certificate of currency, or a certified copy, must be provided to us not less than 14 days prior to an event organiser arriving onsite.

We are committed to equalities and you, as Event Organiser, must provide reasonable, appropriate and accessible services and facilities to all sections of the community without prejudice or bias. Also, you will ensure that all staff/volunteers that come into contact with children and vulnerable adults follow good practice guidelines and recommendations.

No fires, fireworks or camping are allowed on our land unless part of an authorised Event approved by us. Barbeques are not permitted on our land unless as part of an authorised Event, with our prior agreement and with full risk assessments and mitigations in place.

Firework displays must adhere to HSE Working together on firework displays – A guide to safety for firework display organisers and operators. Please see the website http://www.hse.gov.uk/explosives/fireworks/index.htm A risk assessment is needed from the company supplying and firing the fireworks.

Verulamium Park Firework displays are to be limited to three per year, which includes the annual firework display in November. Additional displays may be permitted at our discretion for one-off events celebrating faith and cultural festivals, and these will be taken on a case-by-case basis.

Our Animal Welfare Policy in connection with events stipulates that:

a) Council Land is not let for use by circuses or similar entertainment exhibiting wild animals.

b) Live creatures may not be given as prizes at any function held on Council Land.

NB. If domestic animals are involved (i.e. pet dogs), the premises should be inspected by the RSPCA. All paperwork relating to the transport of the animals should be available for inspection.

We feel very strongly about the use of real fur in retail and believe that the breeding of animals for their fur cannot be justified. Leather and sheepskin products sold must use skins which are a by-product of the food industry only.

Please note the guidance (below) published by Access to Farms concerning the prevention of ill health as a result of members of the public coming into contact with farm animals. 

• Access to Farms - preventing infection ( docx - 4.38 MB )

Noise Management Plan Submission

Event Organisers must submit a Noise Management Plan, including a detailed proposal for noise monitoring, to the Council no later than six weeks prior to their arrival on site. This documentation will be reviewed by Environmental Compliance Officers (ECO) within the Regulatory Services Department. ECOs are available to provide advice on best practice for noise monitoring, including appropriate monitoring locations and noise-sensitive premises, prior to submission. 

Acoustic Criteria

Unless otherwise stipulated by the ECO or the Council, all events must comply with the following Acoustic Criteria:

Avoidance of Noise Nuisance

Noise arising from or associated with the event must not cause a nuisance to residents or noise‑sensitive receptors, including local businesses and schools. 

Build and break times

During the build and de-rig phases, any activity that may cause a noise nuisance outside the park must be restricted to the hours prescribed within the Premises Licence.

Mechanical equipment operating overnight

Any generators, refrigeration units or similar machinery operating overnight must be silenced, screened, or positioned to ensure they are not audible to residents outside the park.

Audience proximity to speakers

Members of the audience should not be permitted within three metres of any speakers.

Noise consultant requirements

The ECO may determine the appointment of qualified Noise Consultants to monitor noise during the event. Where applicable, the following requirements shall apply unless the ECO or the Council specifies alternative conditions for an event:

1. At least two qualified Noise Consultants must be appointed—one at the mixing desk and one conducting perimeter monitoring. They must
   1. undertake pre-event planning and
   2. monitor/control noise levels throughout the duration of the event.
2. A responsible individual must be appointed as the Noise Control Person, present for the duration of the event and responsible for handling noise complaints.
3. A summary monitoring report must be submitted to the Council within two weeks of the event for review by Council Officers (including independent ECO). A full report must be provided on request. Reports will inform future events and the release of any noise deposit.

Noise complaint handling

Any complaints received relating to noise must be acted upon immediately, logged using the standardised form, and reported to the Council via the Out of Hours process. 

Out of hours contact provision

If required by the ECO or the Council, the Event Organiser must fund a Council run Out of Hours contact service. In such cases:

1. Event Organisers must adequately publicise the Council’s Event Hotline at least two weeks prior to arriving on site, including event start and finish times.
2. Hotline details must be displayed clearly on the outside of the event site and/or on the event website.

Notification to Residents and Stakeholders

The Event Organiser must inform all residents and stakeholders identified by the licensor six weeks prior to arrival on site, including event start and finish times.

Event Contact Number

The Event Organiser must publish a dedicated contact number for anyone to call should they have any concerns during the Event (not just limited to noise). 

Noise‑Related Charges

Should noise levels rise above those specified in the Noise Monitoring Proposal, for every complaint logged in respect of this Noise Nuisance, Event Organisers will be expected to pay £40, In case of proven Noise Nuisance a fee of £40 is payable for each occurrence

This guidance is subject to revision of the Environmental Compliance Officers in the light of any complaints received prior to the event.

Any proposed footpath closures need to be communicated as soon as possible to us. Where a Public Right of Way is proposed to be closed during an event, Hertfordshire County Council must be informed, and permission may be required. 

Prior to, or during the course of events, no signs or other objects are to be attached to trees, street/park furniture or public utilities, without the written approval from us. All advertisements must be displayed in accordance with the advertisement regulations. No signs shall be displayed earlier than seven days before the first day on which the event is due to take place.

All informational & directional signage must be removed within 24 hours of the event ending. If signage is still up after this period, we will treat it as Flyposting and retain any Flyposting deposits accordingly. 

We manage banner sites within the city of St Albans. These sites are to be used by community groups and charities who are promoting activities, events or projects that invite the whole community to participate. Banner sites are not to be used by any group promoting activities and events that will bring financial or commercial profit. Email banners@stalbans.gov.uk for details. For areas outside of the city of St Albans, Town and Parish Councils must be contacted.

Please see section on 'advertising your event' for further information/advice on where/how you can publicise your event. 

Events must adhere to the operating timings conditions in the premises licence for the event site. 

Events will generally be allowed to operate during daylight hours only. All non-licensable events must end no later than 10.00pm. Exceptions will be made for events such as fireworks, subject to our approval. It is expected that all Events will be finished and cleared from the hired areas by 10.30pm to minimise disturbance levels to local residents.

All food and beverage vendors must comply with The Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006 and Regulation (EC) No 852/2004. All food vendors must be registered as a food business, with the appropriate local authority. For our events, each food vendor must provide us with the following. For events on our land, we expect you, as event organiser, to request the following from your vendors:

• proof of registration with their Local Authority
• individual insurance
• food hygiene training for all staff
• a food hygiene rating of 4 or above if applicable
• food journeys of all food to be served on the day (supplier, storage, preparation and serving for all food elements)
• Risk assessment(s)

Food or beverages are not to be sold in polystyrene containers or glass bottles, and you should make every effort to minimise the generation of waste and litter. Please consult our sustainability policies for guidance on this aspect of your event.

Event Organisers must adhere to the Council’s Sustainability Policy and demonstrate proactive efforts to minimise environmental impact, including but not limited to:

• reducing or eliminating the use of single‑use plastics
• implementing an effective waste reduction and recycling scheme
• considering sustainable power sources, materials, and transport option

You must create a detailed and credible waste management plan and recycling needs to include additional waste bins as required. You must remove all litter into an appropriate container e.g. a skip, prior to collection on the next working day after the event, at your own cost.

You are responsible for any damage that may occur to our facilities or infrastructure and for litter clearance during the course of an event.

All electrical equipment, including generators, shall be PAT tested, erected and derigged by a qualified contractor of good standing. Pedestrian barriers should be used to safeguard the public, as appropriate. 

Generators must adhere to our Generator Policy found here

No Event equipment will be allowed on to fine turf/sports areas, unless agreed by us in advance.

Marquees, stages, inflatables and other temporary structures should be sourced from a reputable company and installed by a qualified contractor of good standing. You must provide proof of this along with supporting Risk Assessments and systems of work. Unless you erect a structure for more than 28 days the structure will remain exempt from the Building Regulations under Schedule 2 Part IV.

In the eventuality that the structure does remain erected for more than 28 days, a separate application to Planning Officers will be required depending on the size / use of the proposed structure. (See PiPA for more information - https://www.pipa.org.uk/

You must conform to any PPL and PRS requirements during the Event. This includes applying for a PPL/PRS payment if required for your event https://pplprs.co.uk/themusiclicence/

Where applicable, you must submit a Traffic Management Plan no later than six weeks prior to your arrival on site. This plan must include proposals for all vehicle movements in and around the site, parking arrangements, and measures to ensure that an emergency red route remains unobstructed at all times during the event. 

To minimise traffic impacts, you are required to implement a positive travel campaign that promotes the use of public transport and nearby public car parks, while clearly communicating that on‑street parking is restricted. 

The following parking restrictions also apply:

• Verulamium Park: Parking is not available on site unless expressly agreed in advance. Such agreement may be subject to payment for any required parking suspensions. You are responsible for managing all parking activity before, during and after the event, including ensuring that no vehicles remain on site after the event has concluded.
• Clarence Park: Parking is not available on site.

We have the sole responsibility to authorise the landing of helicopters. Designated landing pads are situated in the Front Meadow and Football Pitch 8 by the lake in Verulamium Park and Abbey View Athletics Track. Before a helicopter’s landing can be granted permission, the following information needs to be approved:

a) Name of helicopter company, contact name and number

b) Pilots name and Air Certificate Number.

c) Length of the flight.

d) Flight plan in detail with confirmation that the flight will be over open countryside avoiding residential and commercial properties.

c) Confirmation that the CAA and the local Police are aware of the event.

Air Ambulances are exempt from these restrictions and will be granted immediate and necessary access in emergency situations.

Closure of any public car park must be discussed with our Parking Services Team on 01727 866100 or email parking@stalbans.gov.uk.

Charges may apply and are imposed by this department.

We have the sole responsibility to authorise the use of drones: The person controlling a small Unmanned Aircraft System is fully responsible for the safe operation of any flight.

For more information, please see CAA policy CAP 3939 Air Navigation.

Our Grounds Maintenance Contractor operates and maintains all access gates on our land. Access must be discussed with us and form part of the Event Management Plan

It may be possible for us to arrange for public toilets to be open later than the publicised closing time at certain locations. Please speak to us if you require this.

Please refer to the Purple Guide to assist with calculations on how many toilets will be required for your event.

Due consideration should be given to temporary toilet facilities, if appropriate, such cost to be borne by you.

You should discuss with us if you wish to utilise changing rooms and sports facilities. It may be possible for arrangements to be made with the contractor, who deals with sports pitch and facilities bookings.

All funfairs or any funfair rides at events, must adhere to the HSE Funfair & Amusement Guide (HSG175) and will be granted permission at the discretion of us. Timescales and paperwork set out within these Rules must be adhered to.

The agreed funfair operating times for Verulamium Park, are as follows:

Funfair operating times for other sites and venues may vary and will be discussed upon application.

Funfair to supply own water standpipes and litter bins. Funfair operators must supply their own SIA stewards throughout the event times etc.

Verulamium Park - There will be only a maximum of three large funfairs allowed in the meadow area of Verulamium Park, including those held during the November firework display.

We will only allow a maximum of TWO circuses per year in Verulamium Park. There must be a gap of at last six weeks between any circus or funfair booking to comply with Showmans’ Guild agreements.

Processions must adhere to Safety Guidance for Street Art, Carnival, Processions and Large Scale Performances book (by ISAN, ISBN 0-9544892-1-7 printed 2004).

Processions along public highways may need to apply for a road closure.

https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/highways-roads-and-pavements/changes-to-your-road/traffic-regulation-orders/temporary-traffic-regulation-orders.aspx 

Organised in line with UK Athletics guidance and the Event Safety Guide.

Verulamium Park was built on top of the remains of the Roman City and most of the Park is designated as a Scheduled Monument by Historic England. Without permission from Historic England, any intervention into the surface of the ground is a criminal offence under the 1979 Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act. This means that nothing can be staked into the ground in specific areas of Verulamium Park. As a general rule, the meadow area opposite the running track and Westminster Lodge is unscheduled and the areas around the lakes are Scheduled. 

Where events take place in Vintry Garden, Event Organisers must obtain and comply with any necessary Scheduled Monument Consent. Activities must be planned and delivered in a manner that protects the historic fabric and archaeological significance of the site.

You can approach Historic England for their opinion as to whether formal Scheduled Monument Consent is required for elements of your event or not. As owners of the site, we would require you to keep us informed of these discussions. Find out more here. 

The Lakes and River Ver are subject to the bird nesting periods. We must give approval before any Event can take place near this area. 

It is not permitted to use wildlife areas or long grass meadows as part of any event area. 

For events held on our land (or that we directly manage) we do not allow the release of sky lanterns, nor would we allow for the mass release of helium filled balloons. For events held within the District but not managed by us, or held on our land that we are consulted on, we would recommend against any planned release of sky lanterns/helium filled balloons but ultimately this would be outside our control.

We have approved the launching of hot air balloons from Verulamium Park on no more than four occasions per year.

Approval will be subject to the following conditions:

• Application from a commercial operator licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority
• Launch times will be 1-2 hours after sunrise and approximately 2 hours before sunset, generally at weekends.
• Operator will conduct all marketing of launches and each flight will be able to accommodate 5-8 people. All health and safety implications have been considered and addressed:
  • a temporary enclosure will be formed to keep observers at a safe distance,
  • an optimum location away from trees and other obstacles will be chosen;
  • the fire brigade will be informed of the use of propane gas to fuel the burner;
  • the site will only be used if the wind speed and direction are satisfactory.
  • Each flight requires a minimum of ten knots and no flight will be undertaken if it is likely to cause the balloon to encroach on controlled air space;
  • landing will not be at Verulamium Park, but at an unknown location;
  • hold a £10 million Public Liability insurance policy.
  • operators will be required to provide a copy of their current Air Operators Certificate etc.

It is the Event Organiser’s responsibility to ensure that all required licences are in place before the event. 

If your event has licensable activities, you will need to apply for a license to permit these through the licensing authority. Please note this is separate from your land hire licence and some may incur a charge. Please see full information on the licenses and application details here - https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/business-and-licensing 

Licensable activities include:

• the retail sale of alcohol
• the supply of alcohol in clubs
• the provision of late night refreshment
• the provision of regulated entertainment

For any enquiries please email the Licensing Authority direct at licensing@stalbans.gov.uk or on 01727 819264.

Some of the licences that might be relevant to outdoor events are:

• Temporary Events Notice (TEN) - https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/alcohol-and-entertainment-licences
• Premises licence - https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/alcohol-and-entertainment-licences
• Charity collection licence - https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/charity-collections
• Music or performance licence PPL/PRS - https://pplprs.co.uk/themusiclicence/
• Filming - Filming on council owned land requires a filming license. Please see more information here: https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/filming-district
• Markets licence, if your event has five or more traders, is open to the public (free of charge) and is within 6⅔ of St Albans Market, Harpenden Market, or Redbourn Market. https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/contact-st-albans-markets
• Road closures - If your event is taking place on a public road or highway, you may need to consider a temporary road closure for the safety of the event attendees and staff. https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/highways-roads-and-pavements/changes-to-your-road/street-parties-and-special-events.aspx

You can apply to make a temporary change to your road (Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders TTRO) through Herts County Council here. This needs to be done at least eight weeks before your event. https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/highways-roads-and-pavements/changes-to-your-road/street-parties-and-special-events.aspx 

If your event is to allow children to play out on a street, then you can apply for a Play Street Order via https://sustainablestalbans.org/playing-out/. This process will usually take six weeks. You are also required to inform Herts County Council Highways about your road closure so please allow plenty of time to do so. 

Please note that both of the above applications also require you to inform the local Police. You will also need to source, and pay for, a Traffic Management Company to close the road for you. Please discuss with the relevant bodies as soon as possible.

Event Organisers must prepare and submit all required event documentation to the St Albans Events Safety Advisory Group (SAG) for review no later than six weeks prior to arrival on site. Required documentation may include:

• Public Liability Insurance
• Event Management Plan
• Event Site Plan
• Noise Management Plan
• Traffic Management Plan
• Medical and Welfare Provision Plans
• Waste Management Plan
• Security Plan
• Risk Assessments

Guidance is available at:
https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/safety-advisory-group-events 

A Welfare Provision Plan must be submitted no later than six weeks prior to arrival on site, setting out suitable arrangements for attendee welfare, safeguarding, lost persons, accessibility provision, and associated operational procedures. 

Event Organisers must notify all residents and stakeholders identified by the Licensor no later than six weeks prior to arrival on site. This notification must include the event’s scheduled start and finish times.

The Event Organiser must also provide and publicise a dedicated contact number that can be used by anyone wishing to raise concerns during the Event (including, but not limited to, issues relating to noise).

Unless otherwise stipulated in the Land Hire Licence, events are subject to the following cancellation policy.

The Event Organiser may cancel their Event at any time and must confirm the cancellation in writing to the Council via events@stalbans.gov.uk. Any cancellations will be subject to the following charges:

 On completion or cancellation of the Contract for whatever reason:

• Any provision of the Contract that expressly or by implication is intended to come into or continue in force on or after completion or cancellation shall remain in full force and effect; and
• Completion or cancellation of the Contract shall not affect any of the rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities of the parties that have accrued up to the date of completion or cancellation, including the right to claim damages in respect of any breach of the Contract which existed at or before the date of completion or cancellation.

A notice of cancellation of a booking, once given by the Event Organiser, is irrevocable.

You are expected to rectify any damage or excessive wear and tear to the site that has been a result of your event. 

You will be required to pay a Retention to cover any damages to the ground, or other consequences of the event to the Venue or Site which result in the Council spending to make good. If damage is caused to the ground which requires reinstatement, the prepaid Retention will be used to cover the associated costs. If the cost of reinstatement exceeds the value of the pre‑paid Retention, you will be issued with an additional invoice for the outstanding amount.