Plan an outdoor event
Seasonal events
Remembrance Day parades and ceremonies vary in size, from a small wreath laying ceremony at a village memorial to a parade through a town which requires road closures and other considerations.
Guidance on organising a parade or ceremony
Christmas light switch on events can vary in size from a small gathering around a village Christmas tree to an event that includes entertainment on a stage or on the street, a parade, market stalls, marquees along with an audience ranging from a few hundred to thousands.
Grant funding for festive lighting displays
Kirklees has some funding available which can be used towards costs such as product testing, installation and dismantling of lights, the purchase of new festive lighting and insurance costs
Each applicant will only receive a proportion of the cost and it will be paid after the event on receipt of the relevant invoices.
The amount received will depend on the number of applications submitted. We are receiving more applications each year and this will affect the amount of funding each applicant will be granted.
Installation of festive lighting
To attach festive lighting to structures such as lighting columns or install crossings above a highway, all fixings must be compliant and follow current regulations. For example, you should not lean a ladder against a lighting column to install festive lighting.
Contact for funding and installation guidance
Please contact highways.streetlighting@kirklees.gov.uk for more information and to see the Street Lighting Attachment Policy.
Guidance on organising a Christmas light switch on event
Before you book
Why you are holding the event
Make sure you have a reason for organising the event. For instance, do you want to bring the local community together or have you thought of something no one else is doing? (there could be good reason for this!). This may be obvious when you start but it can evolve and change direction (sometimes unintentionally) throughout the planning process.
Who your target audience is
Teenagers, mixed age groups, families only, or other groups. This will help you decide what the event content will be, how long it might last.
What the event includes
Have a clear idea of what your event will look like. Deciding who you are aiming the event at and why you are doing it will help you to decide what content will attract the audience you want.
Where you will hold the event
Look through our outdoor event Spaces.
Finding the right location is essential. Consider:
- Access for you and the target audience
- Transport links
- Ground condition - what if the weather is bad?
- Car parking
- On site facilities (for instance toilets, power and water supply)
When the event will happen
Decide the best day of the week, time of day and year to hold your event. Always research what else is taking place to make sure your event does not clash with another one nearby otherwise you could be competing for the same audience!
Check out other events that are taking place: Events and things to do
Volunteers, street performers and musicians
Finding volunteers to help deliver your event, street performers, artists and musicians can be difficult. Search for local performers and activity providers at Creative Kirklees and sign up for their newsletter. You can also register and upload the details of your event to help promote it as well as advertising for volunteers and performers
If you require more information contact Creative Development
Each of our outdoor event Spaces has contact details to check the space is available.
Your application
| What your event includes | When to apply |
| Stages, marquees, portaloos, sound and lighting rigs | At least 6 months before the event |
| Expected crowd of 500 or more people | At least 6 months before the event |
| None of the above | At least 8 weeks before the event |
| Road closures | Apply for a road traffic closure at least 6 weeks before your event. Request a road closure |
You may need to apply for a variety of licenses to cover the activities at your event. Application forms includes the licences you may need to apply for.
If you are serving food
Check the regulations and make sure you comply: Food safety at outdoor events
If your event will generate noise
- Talk to people in neighbouring properties
- Make sure you are being reasonable about the time and level of noise at the event
- Get the correct permissions.
- Avoid holding a noisy event in an area with neighbouring properties too close to another similar event.
Cleaning
It is the responsibility of the event organiser to make the necessary arrangements to remove all waste produced by the event and leave the site clean and tidy. Kirklees Trade Waste may be able to help by providing extra bins for use at your event.
There are strict deadlines to display promotional materials on listed buildings. Find out if a building is listed
Signage can cause significant harm to a listed building and should be avoided as much as possible. Contact Planning at an early stage to discuss your proposal.
It is important that the building remains prominent and no works are carried out that affects its special architectural or historic significance.
Get listed building consent
Apply for listed building consent if you want to attach any form of advertisement or banner that will alter the significance of the listed building. This includes fixings.
You may also need listed building consent for work to separate buildings and structures within the grounds of a listed building.
To book council land for an event as a minimum:
- a non-commercial organisation has to provide a full risk assessment and proof of Public Liability Insurance cover of at least £5 million
- a commercial event or organisation has to provide a full risk assessment and proof of Public Liability Insurance cover of at least £10 million.
Depending on the risk, scale and nature of the event, the council reserves the right to request:
- a higher level of public liability insurance cover and more detailed documentation
- more detailed documentation such as an Event Management Plan and Site Plans
It is the organiser's responsibility to do a full risk assessment, irrespective of how small the event is. It is a simple way to identify potential hazards and record sensible measures to control the risks to people at your event. Acts of terrorism and Covid-19 (if applicable) should be considered as part of your assessment, and should be completed by someone who has the necessary ability and knowledge to do so.
Risk assessments and the Event Management Plan
How to do a risk assessment with blank risk assessment templates
Event management plan template and guidance
Counter terrorism
Whilst it may seem unlikely that an attack would take place at your event, as the organiser, you have a responsibility to raise awareness and be prepared for such an occurrence. For example, large vehicles at the front and rear of a parade will help mitigate a vehicle attack on the parade - this includes accidental events, such as the loss of control to a vehicle with no malice intended. Look at the event site, identify where the vulnerable points might be and act accordingly by making it more difficult for an attack to take place.
You should also ensure staff working on the event are trained to be aware of the type of threats that could happen and how to respond. Take appropriate measures which are proportionate for the size of your event.
Covid-19
At the present time, there are no mandatory requirements or restrictions in place and we have been learning to live with the virus. However, we are heading towards colder months and the levels of infection may continue to rise. It is therefore worth thinking about implementing the simple measures of hands, face, space to try to reduce the risk of transmission, especially to our more vulnerable members of society including those working on the event if they are likely to be in contact with lots of people.
After you have applied
- We will share your application form with the council's Highways, Licensing, Cleansing, and Environmental Health services.
- We will also inform the Police, Fire and Ambulance services.
- Depending on the size and nature of the event, we may ask you to attend a Safety Advisory Group (SAG) meeting.
We want to promote reasonably practicable standards of public safety at all events so they are safe, secure and enjoyable.
- The Safety Advisory Group (SAG) includes people from Highways, Licensing, Cleansing, and Environmental Health as well as the Police, Fire and Ambulance services.
- It may meet to discuss applications and the event organiser may be required to attend.
- It advises and helps manage the impact of events held on public and private land and on the highway.
- It may offer suggestions and advice to an event organiser.
- An event organiser can request a SAG meeting to get advice.
- The SAG Chair decides whether a SAG meeting is necessary or not.
What you need to supply to the SAG
You must supply all documentation related to the event.
This may include:
- Event Management Plan including site plans
- Traffic Management Plan
- Risk assessments
Commercial and non-commercial organisations are charged differently.
| Type | When fee is taken | Commercial fee | Non-commercial fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admin fee | When booking is confirmed | £32.50 | £32.50 | Non-refundable |
| Deposit | When booking is confirmed | Full rate | 50% of full rate | Non-refundable. Deducted from final hire charge. Treated as cancellation fee |
| Bond | No later than six weeks before hire period | Full rate | 25% of full rate | Council may deduct cost of any repairs or additional charges incurred by the council which the hirer is liable for. Refunded after the event once any charges have been deducted |
| Hire fee | 25% paid as deposit. 75% to be paid at least one week before the event | Full rate | 50% of full rate | Charge to use a council controlled open space. Doesn't include hire of equipment or anything else |
| Cancellation fee | Upon cancellation | Full rate | 25% of full rate | Taken if the hirer cancels within a stipulated timeframe or other conditions set out in any terms and conditions. It is equal to the non-returnable deposit |
