There are lots of things to consider and be aware of when a public event is planned.

The following information is provided to help you if you want to hold a public event safely - including events held in Stadia or Sports grounds.  Events to be held in Stadia or Sports grounds have additional specific requirements.

Whatever the size of the event, the safety of the public during the event is the responsibility of the organiser and they are therefore accountable in law.

Organisers should also try to minimise the impact of the event on the environment. Common negative environmental impacts include pollution from vehicles, noise, sewerage and other waste generation.

It is recommended that event organisers plan well for the event and that they refer to the guidance on running an event safely which can be found on the Health and Safety Executive's portal or they can refer to the Purple Guide

Please also refer to the following:

(Any outdoor event being held in the Lake District can affect the local biodiversity of both animal and plant species which is unique to the region, especially the waterways. We therefore ask that organisers allow for the Cumbria Freshwater Invasive Non-Native Species (CFINNS) Initiative.)


What you are expected to do as an event organiser


Get agreement from the landowner before the event and consult with the Parish Council for their views

It is important that the organiser contacts the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) at a very early stage in the planning for an event, with a minimum of 4 months' notice for the simplest events and 9 months for larger events.

The Safety Advisory Group (SAG) is made up of representatives from the County Council, the emergency services and other relevant bodies and they need to know what is being planned.

The SAG is purely advisory and is co-ordinated by the County Council who provide a single point of contact (SPOC) to the members of the SAG at event.notification@cumbria.gov.uk

The following statutory licences/orders/certificates may be required for the event:

  • Will the highway or rights of way be affected? - Refer to the Cumbria Highway event planning guidance (WORD 516KB).
  • Communications - The event organiser must ensure that they are able to communicate well at all times during the event and also should there be a wider emergency, within what is a rural County. For that reason there must not be an over reliance upon mobile phones and hand held radio equipment may be needed.
    Advice and information on this topic can be obtained by contacting Cumbria Raynet: controller@cumbria-raynet.org
  • Use of drones
  • Fairground rides
  • Sale and consumption of alcohol - Check with the District Council 
  • Food sale - food safety laws will need to be complied with. Check with the District Council.
  • The sale of food or goods on the highway may need street trading consent. Check with the District Council.
  • Noise (music) - check with the District Council

Please use the SAG 1 form (WORD 68KB) to advise the single point of contact (SPOC) of the following:

  • What you are planning to do, together with the event layout plan
  • About you, your organisation and its competence (or how the competence will be provided)
  • The management of health, safety and welfare during the event and provide its Emergency Plan (to protect life and limb)
  • How the impact on the environment from the event will be minimised
  • Confirmation that you have applied for any statutory licences/orders/certificates that may be required

(For files or documents larger than 4MB, please zip/compress or send as separate emails)

When the form has been received, confirmation that it has been received will be sent to you and:

  • Will advise of any comments received from the SAG members
  • Dependent upon the overall risk score recorded on the SAG 1 form, may lead to you being asked to attend a meeting with the SAG members in order to further clarify some issues.

Just before and during the event, site visits may be made by SAG members.

We are working together with Cumbria Police and the Counter Terrorism Policing North West to provide event organisers with advice and support on how to counter the threat of terrorism when planning an event.

The threat from terrorism is real, with public spaces and crowded areas being an attractive target for a terrorist. The threat level from terrorism often changes.

We would like you to consider what you can do to reduce your risk and mitigate against the impact of such an attack. Having effective planning in place can greatly reduce the likelihood of an attack. There may be a legal requirement for counter terrorism plans to be submitted in the future.

There is a range of free training available designed to increase awareness around the threat of terrorism and how to respond in the event of an attack. You can register for free online training at ACT E-Learning and for any face-to-face training or specific advice please contact ctsa@cumbria.police.uk for further information.

It is recommended that this is set to £5 million minimum.

Please advise Cumbria Tourism of your event