Running an Event or Party

This page covers the information you require to hold an event on land owned or managed by Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC).  Please read the whole page carefully before submitting an application – there is a lot of useful information here.

We aim to work with you to make sure your event goes as smoothly and safely as possible. HDC supports external groups using our sites and providing activities for our customers.

• HDC Events Policy
• Event booking procedure
• Regular activities in HDC parks
• Application form
• Health and Safety
• Event Safety Advisory Group (ESAG)
• Catering
• Inflatables
• Fairground attractions/rides
• Road Closures
• Street parties
• Useful links
• HDC sites
• FAQs

The information is relevant for all types of events, from a small family party with a bouncy castle outside your house to a large multi-day event for thousands of people.

If you are just planning to use a small patch of one of our parks or open spaces for a private gathering with family and friends we only require you to complete this application for private gatherings [DOCX, 52Kb] to notify us of your session. However, if you would like to have an inflatable then please see the section below

You will need to complete an application form, follow our events policy and provide relevant documentation. We recommend you do not finalise details or spend money on your event before we have agreed it can go ahead.

HDC Events Policy

Regardless of the size or scale of your event you will need to comply with the HDC events policy [PDF, size unavailable]. Please note this may be amended at any time - it is your responsibility to ensure you are abiding by the latest version.

Regular activities in parks and open spaces

Application Form for Regular Activities in HDC Parks [DOCX, 47Kb]

Please complete and return the Regular Activities application form if you wish to apply to use a HDC park or open space for a regular outdoor activity such as bootcamp, outdoor yoga etc. We will also require a risk assessment to include COVID-19 safety control measures, a copy of your public liability insurance (minimum £5 million) and a plan of where you would like to hold the class in the park. This information will be forwarded to events@huntingdonshire.gov.uk. HDC will then confirm if your application is successful.

Event booking procedure

1. Check if your proposed site is owned or managed by HDC. If your event isn't on HDC land but is large or complex, you may need to notify the Event Safety Advisory Group (ESAG).

2. Contact the Development Team to check the availability of the site/date and the suitability of your proposed event and activities.

3. Complete the application form [DOCX, size unavailable] with as much information as possible. You must return this, along with the relevant paperwork (risk assessment, proof of insurance, site plan and possibly an event management plan) at least four weeks before your event or three months if it is a large or complex event.

4. If the event and proposed activities are suitable we will send you a letter to say your event can provisionally go ahead, subject to us receiving the relevant paperwork.

5. You will need to provide the relevant documents as requested. If we don’t receive them, or they are not to an acceptable standard four weeks in advance of your event, then we reserve the right to refuse permission for your event. We will give guidance where possible.

6. You may be asked to attend an ESAG meeting to discuss the health and safety of your event. You will need to attend at least three months before your proposed event.

7. Once all the paperwork is received, and any issues or queries resolved, we will send a letter giving you permission to hold the event.

8. Before your event takes place you will need to provide full payment as agreed. We will also require a cheque as a refundable ground deposit in case of damage to the ground, buildings or other facilities on site. The relevant fees can be found in Section 7 and Appendix 1 of the HDC Events Policy [PDF, size unavailable].

9. We would like to monitor site usage so we ask you to contact us after the event to let us know how the event went and the number of attendees.

10. Assuming there is no damage, or it has been made good to our standards, then your ground deposit cheque will be returned or destroyed.

11. You will celebrate a successful event and start planning a repeat for next year!

Application form

You will need to complete the event application form so we can consider your event. This must be completed digitally, not handwritten. To check the suitability of your event and availability of dates, we advise you contact the Development Team before completing this form.

Download the Event Application Form [DOCX, size unavailable]

Health and safety

A strong health and safety policy for your event is essential to minimise the risk of injury or death to staff and the public and cover yourselves in the event of an incident or a near-miss. As landowners we may be liable for incidents that occur on our land so we ask to see copies of your health and safety documents. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has lots of useful information and guidance on its website. The HSE has also published an Event Safety Guide [PDF, 0.9MB] which provides advice on health, safety and welfare at events. 

Remember - as event organiser YOU are responsible for the health and safety at your event, for all activities and for all participants.

Risk assessment

All groups will need to provide a comprehensive risk assessment. You must consider:

• your audience
• the location
• all equipment and
• each activity that you will be running.

Large events will be required to provide an event management plan.

You can find lots of useful information, templates and examples on the HSE’s website.

We have a blank risk assessment form [DOC, size unavailable] you can use as a template. 

We cannot give you permission to hold your event if we consider your risk assessment is not suitable for the activities you are planning.

Fire risk assessment

No matter how large or small your event, you must include a fire risk assessment within your health and safety documents. GOV.UK has further guidance on completing a fire safety risk assessment.

Additional information required to ensure COVID-19 safety measures are in place for your event

In addition to the usual documentation the Event Organiser will need to supply and demonstrate the following:

• a specific COVID-19 risk assessment (RA)
• event Management Plans and Traffic Management Plan must demonstrate how movement flows (one way systems) and queuing systems will meet social distancing guidelines and compliment all existing COVID-19 highway measures and business measures including tables and chairs, licences and highway queuing systems
• supply a detailed site plan – showing each stall, fairground ride etc, queuing areas and traffic flows
• calculate the available area and appropriate capacity of people that can adequately social distance in the area and demonstrate how this will be controlled including how access will be restricted if capacity is reached
• have measures in place to ensure the event is not an additional drain on the emergency services

Safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults

You have a responsibility towards children, young people and vulnerable adults at your event. You will need to write a safeguarding policy and have a procedure in place for lost and found children.

The Cambridgeshire Local Safeguarding Children's Board has put together a Guidance for Best Practice [PDF, 0.9MB] document. This does not replace your own policy.

Suspicious packages

Cambridgeshire Constabulary has put together the HOT Principle [PDF, 0.9MB] which provides advice on dealing with suspicious packages. We advise you include this in your event control documentation and are aware of the contents.

Event management plan

An event management plan (EMP) is a working document detailing all aspects of your event and is a vital tool for event planning. This covers all aspects of your event including marshals, parking, first aid, fire safety, catering etc. It is also essential if emergency services need to attend in the event of an incident.

All large events on HDC land must use this EMP template [DOCX, 0.3MB].  Even for smaller events we may ask you to complete it as it will help you think carefully about most aspects of your event.

There is a lot of guidance on line, including the HSE’s Event Safety Guide [PDF, size unavailable] which provides advice on event planning and management.

Event Safety Advisory Group (ESAG)

The ESAG is a friendly and helpful group of representatives from local public services (police, ambulance, highways and fire), Cambridgeshire County Council and HDC. They can advise you on the safety and management of your event.

If your proposed event is large, complex, "out of the ordinary" or will have a large impact on the local community, we will require you to attend an ESAG meeting. If we ask you to attend and you are unable to do so then we cannot allow your event to take place. For full information please have a look at the ESAG page. You will not need to complete an ESAG application form as the Events and Promotions Officer will circulate your event application form and control documents to the Chair.

You can also ask to attend an ESAG meeting. We may also circulate your application form and additional documents to the members for their comments.

Catering

If you are organising catering for your event you must be aware of the current laws and guidance. You can find these on the Food Standards Agency's website. You are responsible for external caterers at your event so we advise that you make sure businesses are registered and staff are suitably qualified.

You can find further useful information on our Food Hygiene and Health pages.

Inflatables

Inflatables at an event

Having a bouncy castle for a party or an event is great fun and can be a good fundraiser. They can be lethal, however, if not set up and supervised correctly.

Whether you are organising a private family party or a large public event there are some conditions that you will need to abide by for your own safety and the safety of members of the public:

• a member of staff from the suppliers must stay with the equipment at all times
• we will require a:
  • copy of the provider’s public liability insurance certificate with a minimum of £10 million compensation
  • copy of the safety certificate, PIPA or equivalent, for each piece of equipment
  • full site-specific risk assessment that covers the use of each piece of equipment and is relevant to the site at which it is to be located
  • site-specific method statement to cover the use of the equipment on the site – access, vehicles on site etc.

Don’t be put off by this list - all reputable companies can readily provide these documents.

Read up-to-date safety advice

Inflatables at private parties

If you are only organising a small, private party on HDC land and are having an inflatable, such as a bouncy castle, for your personal use then you need to complete this application form [DOCX, 50Kb] instead of the full version. We require all the documents listed in the "Inflatables at an event" section above and for a member of staff from the supplying company to stay with the equipment at all times.

Fairground rides

Any company providing fairground style rides must be members of the Showmen’s Guild of Great Britain. This ensures they have the correct insurance and health and safety inspections.

Road closures

If you need to use a public highway for your event you may need to apply for a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order.  All the information can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council's Highway Events page.

Organising a street party

If you would like to organise a street party you may need to apply for a road closure via Cambridgeshire County Council, have a look at their information. There is a lot of local information on our Street Parties page. Further advice can be found on GOV.UK and in the Guide to Organising a Street Party.

If you plan to use the green space next to your houses as well then please get in touch with us so we can check if it is HDC land and let you know what you need to do.

If you plan to have a bouncy castle or other inflatable you do need to let us know about your event and provide certain documents. Please see the information about inflatables.

Charges and fees

These are set out in the HDC Events Policy [PDF, size unavailable] and depend on:

• where the event is to take place
• who is organising the event
• if money is being raised and
• who the funds are going to.

Fees and charges may be negotiable.

Ground deposit

You will need to pay a ground deposit in the form of a cheque. This is fully refundable if there is no damage to the ground. If there is damage, such as ruts, litter, damage to hard standing or oil spillages, you will be fully liable to returning the ground to its original condition. You must contact us to agree how the land will be reinstated. If the damage is not repaired we will not return your ground deposit and may invoice you if the costs incurred are greater than this.

Useful links

There is a lot of information online and we have put together a list of links you may find useful. Please note HDC cannot be responsible for any incorrect or out of date information on external sites.

Safety Advisory Group

Health & Safety Executive

The Event Safety Guide [PDF, 0.9MB]: A Guide to Health, Safety and Welfare at Music and Similar Events

Running Events Safely - this is essential reading for all events organisers and includes:

• Getting started
• Managing an event
• Venue design
• Managing crowds safely
• Planning for incidents and emergencies
• Transport and vehicles at events
• Staging and temporary structures
• Electrical safety
• Noise
• FAQs
• For useful information and documents about signs on highways and managing traffic to your event, please see the Cambridgeshire County Council's page and scroll down to "Applying For Event Permission"

Government advice and guidelines

Understanding Crowd Behaviour

Voluntary Groups: A "Can Do" Guide

The Purple Guide

The Purple Guide covers every aspect of planning and running an event. There is a subscription fee of £25 for 12 months.

HDC sites

Sites HDC owns or manages include:

HDC owns and manages various car parks around the district - the locations of these can be found on the Parking page.

We also own and manage informal areas of green space next to housing. Please contact us if you're not sure about a piece of land.

Non-HDC sites

Huntingdon Market Square, St Ives Market Square and St Neots Market Square - please contact Cambridgeshire County Council at highway.events@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.

Castle Hills Park, Huntingdon - please contact Huntingdon Town Council on 01480 411883 or town.council@huntingdontown.gov.uk.

FAQs