Guide Organise an event on council land

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3. Event Application Process

Applying

We welcome applications for all types of events, including carnivals, markets, fundraisers, music concerts, theatre productions, commercial events, sporting events and much more. Some examples of previous events are:

  • Community and charity events
  • Promotional and commercial events
  • Weddings
  • Circus and funfairs
  • Sporting events: water sports, beach rugby, volleyball, etc
  • Markets
  • Outdoor theatres and cinemas
  • Music events

Typically, events where less than 500 people are expected to attend (and there is no requirement for a Temporary Event Notice) will be considered small (Category A) events and should be submitted no less than 6 weeks, before your event is due to take place.

Events where less than 500 people are expected but Licences and/or road closures are required are considered medium scale public events (Category B). You should apply at least 3 months in advance OR apply at least 6 months in advance, if you require a time limited Premise licence, as an event management plan and a referral to the Safety Advisory Group will be required (details set out below).

Events with over 500 people or those requiring additional safety measures, e.g. water sports, fireworks, etc are large scale/’special’ events (Category C). These events will have additional planning requirements, such as multiple licences, event management plans and will also be referred to our Safety Advisor Group (SAG). Applications for these types of events should be submitted no less than 6, preferably up to 12 months before the event.

Please note that Fast track applications are available on request by emailing us but may not be appropriate for events requiring a full premises licence to sell alcohol as the licensing process can take 3 months. These events may also require referral to the Safety Advisory Group (explained below). Fast track applications typically incur an additional administration charge.

Our 2025 event calendar will open at 9am on 1 June 2023. We will not accept any applications for events in 2025 before this time. If you believe your event requires a longer notice period than this, please get in touch with us at events@eastdevon.gov.uk.

Application Form

The first step in holding an event on East Devon land is to complete an application form. This will be treated as an expression of interest and will give us an overview of your proposed event. We will use this form to make an assessment of the scale of the event being proposed.

The form covers all the required steps to manage an event and highlights the procedures you need to carry out to ensure that you hold a safe and legal event and are prepared to protect visitors, yourself and the community.

Within your application please include:

  1. Application form  please note, you have two hours to completed this form. 
  2. Risk assessment,  please review our guidance document
  3. Public Liability certificate (please see above to confirm what level of PLI is required.)
  4. Signed terms and conditions
  5. Site plan
  6. Event Management Plan - we will advise if this is required

All events will be reviewed based on the details given in the application form so it’s important that you provide as much information as possible. If you are unsure on the best location for your event, please refer to our event spaces brochure or get in touch with us at events@eastdevon.gov.uk

Please do not start marketing your event at this stage.

Please Note:

Roads and some pavements in East Devon are owned by Devon County Council Highways. If your event requires road closures in East Devon, you should contact Devon County Council directly for permission via telephone on 0345 155 1004 or via email csc.roads@devon.gov.uk You can also visit their website. 

If your event is taking place on the water from the shoreline of Exmouth to Exeter’s canal and quay, you will need to notify the Harbour Authority, Exeter City Council on river.canal@exeter.gov.uk or visit their website.

Processing your application

On receipt of the supporting event documents, we will email you to confirm we are processing your event booking and provide you with a breakdown of the fees and deposit, which must be paid before your event date. Your event will then be sent out to consultation (see below).

Following a successful consultation and your receipt of any necessary licences, we will confirm the event, provide our Conditions of Hire and invoice you for the event fees.

We cannot give permission for your event to go ahead until you have received the required licences.

Consultation Process 

As part of our application process, we consult on all of our events. The consultation is sent to East Devon District Councillors for the area concerned, the local Town or Parish Council, East Devon District Council Licensing team, Environmental Health, Car parking, Corporate Safety and StreetScene teams.  The purpose of the consultation is to communicate details of the planned event to ensure there are no foreseeable issues and that the event fits with the requirements of the local area. The consultation period lasts for 4 weeks.  After this time, a decision will be made on whether your event can go ahead and the events team will advise you accordingly.

If the Events team confirms that the event can take place terms and conditions and an invoice will be issued.

You may now start marketing your event (if required).

East Devon Safety Advisory Group (SAG)

The purpose of the Safety Advisory Group is to provide support and advice to event organisers, to ensure they understand their individual responsibilities and that their event can go ahead smoothly & safely.

Details of large events or events that need a particular review in terms of visitor/community safety are required to presented to a SAG meeting before an in principle decision can be given.  Event organisers are required to produce and submit an Event Management plan and are invited to attend the meeting. 

Membership of the SAG includes:

  • East Devon District Council
  • Devon County Council
  • Devon and Cornwall Police Licensing
  • Devon and Cornwall Police Events Planning Officer
  • Devon and Somerset Fire Rescue
  • South Western Ambulance Trust

The SAG will review the event proposal and management plan in detail and give members the opportunity to raise any concerns or objectives.  Following the SAG meeting, the SAG has five working days to respond to the event organizer with further comments before a decision is made by the Events Team.  The Events team will notify the event organiser in writing whether the event can take place.

Please note: depending on the scale, requirements and set up of your event, East Devon District Council may need to meet with event organisers to review the set up and details of their event. The purpose of this is to advise, support and guide event organisers through all aspects of organising a large scale event to ensure community safety and of all those involved in delivering the event.