Events on council land
How to apply for permission to hold an event on land owned by the council
Calendar of events on council land
If you want to hold an event on land owned by the council, you will need our permission. To apply for permission, you must first contact us (details below) to make a provisional booking. We will then send you a confirmation email with full details of how to complete your event application.
Please note that we do not permit balloons or Chinese lanterns to be launched from Lancaster City Council land. We also do not allow animals to be used as entertainment on our land, including the giving of animals as prizes (e.g. goldfish) regardless of the participant’s age.
Applications must be received a minimum of two, four or eight weeks before your event (depending on its size). If your event involves road closures, premises licences, temporary event notices or referral to the event safety advisory group (ESAG) we will require at least eight weeks notice in order for permissions to be obtained.
Before planning your event, please make sure that the land you want to use is available and suitable for the type of event you are proposing. Current and provisional event bookings on council land are listed on the events calendar on this page.
How to apply for permission
- Contact us on 01524 582000 or email publicrealm@lancaster.gov.uk
- We will add your provisional booking to the events calendar and send you a confirmation email with a booking form and guidance notes
- Read the event booking guidance notes and complete and return the booking form and supporting documentation to us
To enable us to process your application, it is essential we have the following items:
- A signed booking form (we'll send this out to you after you've made your provisional booking with us)
- Risk assessment
- Public liability insurance (with limit of indemnity of £5 million or above)
And if applicable:
Please remember that we must receive your booking form and all supporting documents a minimum of two, four or eight weeks before your event (depending on its size).
What happens next
Once submitted, your application will be reviewed and you should receive a response within five working days. You will be informed as soon as possible if your event is not approved, changes need to be made or if additional information is required.
Event safety - your responsibilities
As the event organiser, you have overall responsibility for making sure that the event proceeds safely and without incident. If you don’t have experience in the preparation of event safety plans and risk assessments, you should consider engaging a professional health and safety advisor to do this for you.
- For further information and guidance see our event safety page
Referrals to ESAG
Depending on the nature of your event, it may be that you have to attend a meeting with the event safety advisory group (ESAG) to discuss your proposal. Please refer to the ESAG referral criteria which should give you some guidance on whether your event needs to be referred.
Events at Williamson Park
If you want to hold an event at Williamson Park you will need to contact the park directly. For further information please visit the Williamson Park website.
Last updated: 22 March 2024