What kind of events are likely to be given the go-ahead?

Requests to hold an event on St Albans District Council land will be assessed by Officers using the following criteria:

1. Does the event meet one or more of the Council’s aims/objectives for outdoor events as set out below?
   • Provide entertainment and enjoyment for residents and visitors.
   • Enhance the District’s cultural offer with an event that contributes to a varied programme of events across the district.
   • Celebrate St Albans as an historic destination by contributing to a programme of events with a diverse cultural offering across the district.
   • Support economic activity for the benefit of local businesses.
   • Contribute revenue to the Council.

   • Promote equality, inclusion and fairness, offering opportunities for local communities and talent to get involved. 

      

2. Are the event organisers committed to the following?
   • To operating within the Council’s sustainability strategy.
   • To minimising disruption to the local area and community by careful design, location and management of the event.   

   • To minimising, mitigating and managing any negative impact on Council land and the local area, causing minimal disruption to the environment and wildlife. As demonstrated via the event organisers’ agreement to the reinstatement fees which cover ground reinstatement, noise disruption and flyposting, as well as agreeing to adhere to rules for noise management and the Council’s sustainability policy. 

      

3. Are any of the following applicable? If so, the 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. 

      

4. Consideration will be given to the event in the context of other events taking place both in the parks and elsewhere in the district, to ensure a balance of interests are represented for the whole community throughout the year.

5. Can the proposed event be accommodated within the number of 'permitted days' in the requested site (28 days)? If not, event organisers will be informed that they will be required to apply for planning consent.

6. Do the timings adhere to:
   • A minimum two-week period between Major Events* being held at the same venue.
   • 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).

* A Major Event is one that has 20,000+ expected attendance.

7. Checks of the following will be made:

8. Is the event permitted under the existing premises licence for the site, or will the event organiser need to apply for their own premises licence or Temporary Event Notice (TEN)?

9. Proposed dates and event suggestions discussed with internal stakeholders. This may include, but not limited to:
   • Estates
   • Green Spaces
   • Parking
   • Museum (for Verulamium Park)
   • Archaeologist (for Scheduled Monument areas)
   • Buildings and Facilities
   • Markets (for events with five or more concessions/traders)

   • Grounds maintenance contractor for sporting fixtures - any proposed or approved events, will have precedence over any sports bookings taken by the booking agents. Sports bookings will need to be re-arranged.

      

10. Is this a new event? Or has it been run before in St Albans or elsewhere? If it has been run elsewhere, details will be sought on previous event. If possible, feedback will be obtained from previous landowner/local authority.

11. Brief background checks on the named event organiser and their prior experience will be undertaken. For example, this might include reviewing previous events organised by the event organiser, feedback from landowners where events have been held by the event organiser, companies house information, examples of event paperwork from previous events.

12. No event in Verulamium Park or Clarence Park should occupy the park in its entirety.

13. For sites that are managed under a trust agreement or are leased by the Council, approval is required as per the below. In any of these instances, Lead Cllrs and Ward Cllrs will be informed prior to contacting the groups below held under trust therefore need to go through the following approvals.

14. Events that meet the criteria will be pursued by officers. However, should there be an occasion where an event does not meet the criteria, but that Officers consider worth exploring, the event would be brought to Lead Cllr for consultation.