Organising an event

Organising an event can be a daunting process so to assist with the planning process we have prepared some information to help make your event run smoothly, whilst also providing some advice, guidance and support to make your event the very best. 

When starting to organise your event you first need to consider:

• where you wish to hold your event
• how you gain permission to use that venue/site
• the suitability and accessibility of that site
• when you want to hold your event
• who your target audience will be.

Further information on what to consider can be found in the Events Toolkit section.

Once you are aware of the date, location and the type of event you wish to hold, you should register it with us. We will be able to advise you if your event clashes with another event which either impact on your target audience or place undue pressure on the emergency services if there are multiple events or a major event taking place at the same time. By registering with us, you will also be able to gain free advice and guidance as appropriate. 

To register your event, submit an Event Notification Form to us.  You can do this by:

• Completing this form [details of how this will flow included separately]
• Downloading the Event Notification Form here and return by email to event.request@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk

To assist with the planning process, the Event Notification Form should be submitted as early as possible but no less than 8 weeks before your event takes place.

When planning your event, consider whether you may need to apply for road closures or licenses such as for alcohol, fireworks and/or entertainment. The application process for these will take additional time (minimum of 12 weeks’ notice required) and will need to be included as part of your planning process.

Details of how to apply for road closures and licences can be found under the Licences and Road Closures section.

It is important you have provided notification to us as early as possible so that you have time to consult with agencies such as PSNI, NI Ambulance Service, NI Fire and Rescue Service.  This will help ensure your event runs as smoothly and safely as possible.

We have designed a toolkit, which can be found in the next section, to assist and support event organisers in achieving the highest standards of public safety at events, by outlining some of the key factors to be considered.

Our Safety Advisory Group (SAG) is an independent forum bringing together emergency services (police, fire and ambulance), council officers and event organisers.  It wants to ensure the events held in our area are well-organised, safe and monitored by offering free advice and guidance.

More information on the SAG here.  

Depending on the nature or the size of your event, you may be invited to present your information to the SAG.  Here we will review your Event Management Plan (EMP), Risk Assessment and other relevant documentation. 

A well written Event Management Plan should act as your guide to how the event will take place (including set up, event delivery and event break down) and provide a list of clear roles and responsibilities along with contact details.

A Risk Assessment outlines what could go wrong during your event and what mitigations you have put in place to prevent incidents from occurring. 

Templates and guidance relating to how to complete these documents can be found in the next section. It is advised that this information is provided well in advance of your event. 

A list of websites that you may useful in providing additional guidance can be found below for ease of reference:  

Local Government Association

Health & Safety Executive
 

It is recommended all events have an Event Management Plan (EMP), regardless of the size of the event.

The EMP should be seen as the complete guide to your event, outlining arrangements in place and those with responsibilities named and their contact details documented.

It not only provides a clear and easy to follow event plan but if the main event organiser became unavailable, someone else could use this plan to safely and smoothly run your event. 

The EMP should outline:

• the nature of the event
• location
• anticipated number of attendees, audience profile
• dates, times of performances
• how crowds will be controlled
• arrangements in place for managing incidents, dealing with accidents, emergency escape, first aid, waste, welfare facilities, stewarding etc.
•  contingency planning details should there be a requirement to make changes or cancel in the lead up to the event.

Access an EMP template here.

The following sections include a toolkit and advice to help guide you through what information you need to include on these forms.

Keys points to consider when writing your Event Management Plan includes:

Roles, Responsibility & Competency

All persons with a role in the event should be ‘competent’ i.e. be suitably trained, have relevant experienced and have the skills and knowledge necessary, or where necessary be supervised by competent persons.   

A list of responsible persons along with their role and contact details should be provided as part of the Command Structure in the event management plan.

More information on the responsibilities of the event organiser, safety officer, contractors, sub-contractors, vendors, self-employed workers, volunteers and stewards can be found in the Toolkit section. 

Use of Contractors

As an event organiser, you may hire an independent contractor to plan, organise and manage aspects of the event. These contractors may in turn, sub contract tasks out to other businesses or individuals.

It is wise to take time to make sure a written agreement exists which spells out the scope of the work, pricing, date and times required, constraints on how and when the contractor works, and any contingency plans.

Along with ensuring the work is undertaken within this framework, this will also help to mitigate against risks of work not being completed on time or to the specification required. 

In addition, before hiring a contractor you should also ensure that they have the appropriate insurances and qualifications in place. 

ACCESS NI checks for those working with children.

Contingency Planning 

Having a plan for when things go wrong ensures that all members of your team know how to respond and rectify the situation or handover responsibility to emergency services.  

Proper planning for things like missing person, bomb threat, fire or reason to delay, move, or cancel the event reduces the risk of uncertainty amongst organisers, allows work to continue running smoothly where possible, prevents panic and maintains the organisers credibility and the reputation of the event. 

Insurance

Event organisers must ensure they have the appropriate level of insurance cover to indemnify them against any civil litigation. The type and level of insurance required depends on the event and the risks involved.

If the event is on council property the event organiser will be required to have public liability insurance to a level appropriate to the event as a pre-requisite of an application. 

It is  important to use competent contractors with adequate insurance for things such as caterers, amusement suppliers and entertainers.

Depending on the event arrangements employer’s liability as well as property and event cancellation insurance may be required.

More details regarding the level of insurance required can be found in the Events Toolkit section of the website.

There are a number of Health and Safety considerations to take into account when organising an event.

The best free online guidance can be viewed here.

The Purple Guide, an excellent resource especially for larger, outdoors events can be viewed here.

As the event organiser:

• it is your responsibility to ensure your event adheres to all the necessary legislation, no matter the size or scale of the event, right from those involved in the management of the event to those delivering the event on the day
• you must ensure you or someone else involved in planning your event is ‘competent’ i.e. be suitably trained, have relevant experienced and have the skills and knowledge necessary, or where necessary be supervised by competent persons
• you may decide to appoint a dedicated safety officer for your event to reduce the chance of any incidents arising, having the suitable knowledge to deal with any issues that may develop.  They will be able to provide all necessary documentation and information to relevant authorities should it be needed. 

As previously mentioned, if you are using contractors and sub-contractors you must ensure that you have received the relevant risk assessments and insurance documentation from them.  

When you are permitting a public event to take place on your land you are responsible, along with the event organiser, for the safety of those attending the event as well as those working there. 

When organising your event, safety of others must be paramount in all decision making.

When writing your EMP and Risk Assessment, you will be prompted to consider a number of Health and Safety considerations but you are also advised to review the Events Toolkit to ensure you have included all relevant information in this documentation.  

Risk Assessment 

A risk assessment is a careful examination of what could cause harm to people at your event, so you can weigh up whether you need to take steps to lower the risk.

Risks can arise from a number of areas such as unusual site, crowd size, the movement of equipment on and off set, weather conditions and traffic management.

These factors, and many others, can create a variety of potential hazards. All events organisers have a responsibility to thoroughly assess risks to help reduce or remove potential dangers to staff and attendees and members of the public.

As the organiser you carry the overall responsibility for the safety of the public, employees/volunteers working at the event and anyone visiting the event site.

The Events Toolkit provides further information relating to volunteers at events. 

View the HSE risk assessment template here

View the HSE steps to risk assessment here
 
Contractors and vendors should provide a copy of their individual risk assessments outlining arrangements in place to ensure safety associated with their stall/performance/facilities etc. 

Additional guidance you should review can be found below:

Care in the Sun

LCCC Guide To Hygiene And Safety Standards For Mobile Food Businesses

LCCC Guidance for Organisers of Events
 

Some events will require a special licence or a road closure.

As Event Organiser you must ensure you have allowed enough time to apply for licences and/or road closures to complete. It is your responsibility to submit any application as applies to your event.

To assist with this application our Environmental Health Unit has provided information on this process below.

If you need clarification or further guidance please email the Environmental Health Unit on ehealth@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk or phone on 028 9244 7300.

 

Special Events on a Public Road/ Road Closures

If your event requires the restriction or prohibition of traffic from using a public road for a “special event” to take place (i.e. any sporting event, social event, entertainment or the making of a film) the event organiser must apply to or Environmental Health section for a Road Closure Order.  

To allow sufficient time to process an application, and to make an Order to restrict traffic from using a public road, we require at least 12 weeks’ notice. 

Information regarding fee’s and application forms and procedures can be found:

For a copy of an Application to hold a Special Event on a public Road please click here.
For a copy of Guidance notes for an application to hold a special event on a Public Road please click here.
For a copy of the LCCC Application Assessment Flow Chart please click here.
For a copy of Special Events - Guidance notes for Promoters of Events please click here.

To view submitted road closure notices please click here

The event organiser will be required to submit a Traffic Management Plan and signing schedule from an approved contractor indicating proposals, with plans where appropriate. 

A formal road closure may not be required in certain circumstances (such as for smaller events which affect a cul-de-sac rather than a through road for example), however, all traffic management proposals must be approved us.

It is important that advice is sought at the earliest possible planning stage to ensure provisions can be made.

Parades

If you are planning a parade as part of your event you will need to apply for permission from The Parades Commission by submitting a completed 11/1 Notice of Intention.

You can do this here

It is important to give the police advance notice of the date, time and venue/route of any procession. Any conditions or prohibitions imposed by the police must be complied with.

Licencing 

Entertainment Licence

You will need a licence if you are providing the following entertainment:

1. a theatrical performance
2. dancing, singing or music or any entertainment of a like kind
3. a circus
4. any public contest, display, etc., of boxing, wrestling, judo, karate or similar sport, billiards, pool, snooker or similar game or darts or any other sport or game which may be prescribed by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland
5. machines and equipment for entertainment or amusement, excluding gambling machines
6. equipment for the playing of billiards, pool, snooker or other similar game.

You will need a licence if your event is ticketed, if there is an entrance charge including money collected for a charity etc. and also if you are restricting a public area for the purpose of your event. 

The cost of a licence depends on whether it is an indoor or outdoor event, the type of licence you require and the maximum occupancy attending.

Find our more here.

More information

Contact the Licensing Department by email at ehealth@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk or phone 028 9244 7300.

Liquor Licencing/sale of alcohol 

The process of obtaining a liquor licence for any event is currently undertaken within the Magistrates Court.  

All applications must be submitted to the Court of Petty sessions and a copy must be provided to the PSNI and LCCC.

The PSNI is the enforcing authority for liquor in Northern Ireland. 

To apply online click here.

Fireworks Licence 

If you plan to have a fireworks display at your event, you must have a valid fireworks licence issued by the Department of Justice.  

Fireworks must be purchased from a supplier who has been registered by the Department of Justice.  No licence is required for indoor fireworks or sparklers.

More information here.

Street Trading Licence

If you want to trade on a street as part of a street festival you must receive a licence from us.

Click here for more information.

You can trade at an event as long as it is not on a street or road. 

More information

Contact the Licensing Department by email at ehealth@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk or phone 028 9244 7300.

A Safety Advisory Group (SAG) has been put in place to provide a forum for the Council, emergency services (police, fire and ambulance) and event organisers to come together to ensure large and small events are properly planned and organised in order to prevent dangerous situations and incidents.

The Safety Advisory Group policy and its Terms of Reference can be found xx

The SAG will ensure all your documents are circulated to the relevant organisations and in order for adequate feedback to be given, all documents should be submitted at least 8 weeks before the event.

As the SAG is an advisory group, Event Management Plans and Risk Assessments are not authorised or approved by the SAG.  The feedback you are given will be directly related to public safety and should be incorporated into your documentation.

After the Event

In addition to your debrief, which is an important part of the event planning process, SAG will provide a debrief and evaluation form which you are asked to return within one calendar month of your event.

In it you will outline any concerns for future years and highlighting the successes.

What happens next?

A flowchart is available to view providing information on the process your event will go through.

All notifications forms are assessed and, for many events, feedback is given directly to the event organiser by email or phone.

In some cases, the event organisers is invited to attend a SAG meeting to discuss the event, which on average takes around 30 minutes.

The SAG meets every 3rd Wednesday of the month between 10am and 1pm at Lagan Valley Island. 

SAG meetings for 2023 have been proposed as follows:

Wednesday 15 November 2023
Wednesday 20 December 2023

Please note some of these dates may be subject to change closer to the time or may be cancelled.

HSE: Guidance on Running Events Safely
The Purple Guide to Health, Safety and Welfare at Music and Other Events 

CIEH National Guidance for Outdoor and Mobile Catering 
LCCC Noise Guidance for Organisers of Events
CIEH/The Noise Council: Code of Practice on Environmental Noise Control at Concerts 
DHSSPSNI Fire Safety Risk Assessment: Open Air Events and Venues
Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service 
Fire Risk Assessments - Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (nifrs.org)
Northern Ireland Ambulance Service
Department of Justice - Fireworks Licence