Apply to hold an event in one of our parks or other outdoor spaces. Find out what procedures and standards you need to follow.
Your application must:
Download out outdoor events policy (PDF, 369KB)
Download our environmental sustainability guide (PDF, 365KB)
Each item of supporting information listed is required. If you think that any of the information we are requesting is not applicable to your event, please explain why. In doing so, you will probably give us the information we need.
You need to illustrate that every one of the following topics has at least been considered with your event in mind.
Please provide separate documents where requested.
These need to be a clear illustration of the lay out of your event, in the location being requested. You should include all temporary structures, toilet facilities, generators, first aid posts, access routes, any other physical set-up and activity areas. We can provide you with a blank site map for your location if required, please email events@southwark.gov.uk.
Please provide these separately.
A timetable from the moment you get to the location to start setting up, until moment the site is cleared and returned to it’s original state after the event. This should include times of all main parts of the set-up and clear-up, along with public opening/closing times, and stage start/finish times.
The risk assessment should identify potential hazards and the risks associated with them during set-up and during the event. For each hazard identified, you must then show what you intend to do to remove, minimise or control the risk from the hazard.
The risk assessment should cover all elements of the event, including your set-up and clear-up. There are many formats which can be used to complete a risk assessment and you can choose whichever suits you best. Most people find that using a matrix or grid structure helps them to work through the assessment.
These can be provided separately.
With minimum indemnity limit of £5 million.
This should be either a copy of your insurance certificate showing the policy number, dates valid and amounts covered by your policy, or a letter from your insurer providing the same information.
Please note that public liability insurance and employer’s liability insurance are not the same thing. The policy must cover your event in its entirety.
Please provide this separately.
Details of how you will communicate with members of staff, the public and with external agencies (such as the police). This should detail practical methods of communication and should show the management / team structure for the event.
Details and the numbers of stewards and security staff, the roles they will be delivering at the event, how they are managed and what times they are working. Also include information about any training and briefings to be provided for these teams. Any security staff used must be SIA trained and licensed and you should provide confirmation of this with details of what level of training the staff have.
A description of how crowd movement will be monitored and controlled at the event including details of how the security and stewarding works, locations and types of control barriers in place, and referring to the site plan for detail of entrances/exits.
Please describe the procedures you will have in place for responding to an emergency situation. This should refer to the use of your evacuation routes and muster points, chain of command, rendezvous points for emergency vehicles and arrangements for communicating important information to members of the public.
Please give a description of the equipment and procedures you will have to prevent or combat fire, and ensure fire regulations are adhered to. Calling 999 for the fire brigade should be a part of this plan. At no point are you expected to put the safety of you and your team in danger.
Please describe what first aid provision you will have in place at the event. You should include numbers of first aid staff and ambulances where applicable.
This is a statement of intent that explains what efforts you will make to ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults at your event.
You must give details of what effort you will make to remove risk of the abuse or mistreatment of children or vulnerable adults at the event and what measures will be taken if event staff identify situations of abuse or mistreatment whether related to the event or not.
A written procedure detailing how lost children or vulnerable adults will be reunited with their parents or guardians. This should include measures to protect the children or vulnerable adults involved, and checks on identity of parents or guardians claiming responsibility for the child or vulnerable adult. This should also explain what action will be taken when a child or vulnerable adult is found without their parent or guardian.
An example lost child or vulnerable adult procedure is available from the events team. Email events@southwark.gov.uk.
This should outline the impact of the event on traffic and transport in the area of the event, as well as how vehicles will be managed within the event site. Items to consider outside the event include:
Items to consider within the event site include:
Details of toilet facilities, hand washing points and any other sanitary provision at your event.
An appropriate number of toilets must be provided at your event, for the anticipated number of attendees.
The temporary toilet facilities provided must always include accessible, wheelchair friendly units.
Information about how you will ensure that any food provided at the event is prepared, stored, served and handled properly to remove the public health risk. This includes both food provided for staff and volunteers, and food provided by caterers to the general public.
If you have caterers serving food to the public, you will be expected to pass details of the traders to Southwark’s environmental health team in advance of the event.
The event site must be left in the clean and tidy state it was found in. The waste management plan should give details of equipment and staffing in place to maintain the cleanliness of the site during and after the event. Also how waste will be minimised and disposed of with as little environmental impact as possible.
Events can have an impact on the local environment in a number of ways, so you need to identify what these possible impacts are and then show how you plan to protect the environment accordingly.
Download our environmental sustainability guide (PDF, 365KB)
This assessment should consider the general environment in terms of:
This assessment should consider the local physical environment in terms of:
This assessment should consider the community environment in terms of:
Details of infrastructure and communication methods in place to make sure the event is accessible to all. This must also include detail of aspects of the event that will not be accessible to all explaining the reasons why.
We recommend event organisers refer to the access guidance provided by the Independent Street Arts Network
Overview of how the event will be marketed including distribution of publicity, invites, PR campaigns and advertising. Examples of any publicity, adverts and press releases should be provided.
This can be the statement already in place for your organisation if applicable, or a statement for the event itself.