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Organising an event in a Salford public park, green space or open space

Important information: please read our advice page about orgainising an event

Organising an outdoor public event in Salford in 2023

Salford has a variety of great outdoor spaces available to hire for public events. Over 300 amazing events take place in our parks, open and green spaces each year. Tapping into vast depths of local talent, boosting the local economy, creating a strong sense of community, fostering a culture of innovation and imagination and contributing to the vibrant culture, environment and economy in the city.

Salford City Council recognises the value and benefit that a varied, safe and well managed outdoor events programme can offer people living, working and visiting the city. However, will also have to assess your application while considering the impact of your event on park users, local residents, businesses, stakeholders and the environment.

This page aims to give advice on how to organise an event, It outlines the procedures and processes we have in place while, providing clear and transparent information to both commercial and community event organisers.

Fees and refundable bonds may be charged for some events, we will send you details of any fees and bonds applied to your event once we have received your event application.

You must apply to hold an event in Salford a minimum of six weeks before your event date. There are three steps involved in processing your event application, these are explained below.

Event applications for events with food traders in Salford

Your event food and drink traders will be expected to provide up to date, readable paperwork files including:

  • Their FSH food rating with a minimum 3 rating
  • Street trading consent or licence paperwork
  • Evidence of public liability insurance
  • Adequate hand washing facilities

For further details on hand washing facilities, please read the guidance at the bottom of this page. Food traders without hand washing facilities will not be allowed to trade at your event in Salford.

Eco-friendly, biodegradable alternatives to plastic

Be a trailblazer in Salford this summer by leading the way and stop using single-use plastic plates, trays, bowls, cutlery, balloon sticks, expanded and extruded polystyrene food and drinks containers at your event. Start to talk to your festival food vendors and suppliers about replacing them with eco-friendly, biodegradable alternatives. From October these products will start to be banned from festival and event venues across the country, let’s start the ball rolling now!

“Our smoothies will all be served in a recycled paper cup, with biodegradable paper straws. We collect all of our own litter, and do a litter sweep at the end of our event so I can promise you no rubbish will be left!”  Elizabeth Wilson, ISG Live 

Three paper cups, in order of size (biggest to smallest)

Hot weather warning - Summer 2023

Thursday 1 June – Friday 15 September

If you are planning an event in Salford this summer, you must consider how hot weather may affect your plans for an outdoor event.

  • Check the weather forecast for your event date.
  • Children should not take part in vigorous physical activity on very hot days, such as when temperatures are in excess of 30°C
  • Consider providing adequate shade and provide access to free drinking water for all.
  • Consider what advice you will give staff and volunteers working in hot weather. Hats, sunblock, water bottles, rest periods.
  • Consider a Heat Stress risk assessment for your staff and suppliers working on site.
  • Animals talking part on the event including Dog Shows need shade, water and protection for the sun and heat.
  • Some surfaces may become very hot in the sun. Check Bouncy Castles, stage handrails and flooring or mats are suited to the activity planned and not becoming too hot to handle.
  • Some high-risk food (for example, cooked meats, mayonnaise, and cream) and picnic lunches need to be kept chilled in cool bags before consumption at an event. Keep food covered so wasps aren’t attracted to your event.

Pressure on North West Ambulance Service during 2023

  • Event organisers should read the guidance from North West Ambulance Service at the bottom of this page regarding medical cover for their event. Currently getting an ambulance to your location in the event of an emergency may take longer than expected.
  • You must fully outline your first aid and emergency planning in your event management plan.
  • First Aiders should be trained to a FREC level 3. Staff with ‘First Aid at Work’ certification should not be used as First Aiders at an outdoor events in Salford.
  • Please ensure you have medical staff, facilities and equipment on site to keep your patient/s stable, warm and comfortable until help arrives.
  • You can call 999 on a mobile phone and give accurate and clear details of the emergency and location, and be prepared to take advice over the phone from the call handler.

Event applications for group activities or events in parks, green spaces or open spaces

There is one single application form for all events taking place on council owned land.

Events requiring an application include:

  • Community or not for profit events and gatherings
  • Commercial events
  • Charity or fund-raising events
  • Fitness and coaching sessions
  • Markets and car boots
  • Marches and parades
  • Sports events including road races and rides
  • Events on or by water at Salford Quays
  • Forest schools or environmental/educational activities
  • Temporary installations or exhibitions 

Applications for a season or series of events can be included on this one form.

The form should be completed by the event organiser, and they must include the details of your organisation’s public liability insurance cover for your event.

Insurance

Please ensure that you arrange adequate insurance cover for the event. Insurance cover is needed for all staff, helpers, spectators, and property. As part of the application process, you must provide proof that you have a valid insurance policy in place.

Normally your insurers will want you to have assessed all the risks and taken steps to eliminate or control as many as possible.

Ensure you obtain copies of any contractor’s insurance policies and keep on file.

Salford City Council does not accept any liability for any loss or damage caused to persons or property howsoever caused as a result of your event or public gathering.

The event organiser shall at their own cost obtain public liability insurance which must indemnify the council against any and all claims, demands and proceedings arising out of your event.

Event safety planning

The event manager in charge at events over 1,000 people, must be able to comply with the guidance in the Health and Safety Executive document ‘The Purple Guide’ and must be familiar with event safety planning guidance, crowd ratios and emergency protocols as laid out in this document. They will be responsible for providing all the documentation by any deadline issued by the council.

Planning ahead

The application form will only be activated if your event takes place six weeks from the date of application.

Events within six weeks of application will not be accepted.

The application form requires details of your event management plans, so you will need to have these plans at hand when you start the form.

Salford’s parks are not available for private hire such as weddings or birthday parties.

Private barbeque and cooking fires are not permitted as part of events. Unless provided by a registered food vendor and/or after consultation with the council.

Food and drink at events in Salford

Please note that Food Hygiene Legislation applies to any activity that involves handling food and drink. Anyone serving or selling food at an event on Salford land must adhere to current food hygiene legislation which is Regulation (EC) 852/2004 Hygiene of Foodstuffs and the Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006.

Food businesses also need to comply with the General Food Law Regulation (EC) 178/2002 and the General Food Regulations 2004.

Within Salford any mobile caterer to vendor used at an event must be registered with Salford , the registration process ensures that caterers or vendor do adhere to current legislation, hence it is satisfactory for an event organiser to confirm that the caterer or vendor is Salford registered and document this within their event paperwork.

View a full list of registered vendors (Adobe PDF format). 

Please carefully consider the consequences for you, your staff, volunteers, contractors, suppliers, and the public, if permission for your event is withdrawn by Salford City Council for any reason.

Salford City Council will not be liable for any loss of income or costs associated with cancellation, or withdrawal of permission for your event at any time.

There are three steps to assessing your application

Step one

Salford City Council will check availability of the location on the dates and times you have requested. They will check the suitability of the space for the event described and the activities you intend to undertake. Including arrangements for event car parking, and installation of temporary structures, barriers, crowd size and management, noise controls, food vending and sale of alcohol.

At this stage your application could be refused if the space is not suited to the event, event content or crowd size you have described in the application.

Step two

Your application maybe referred to the city’s Safety Advisory Group, this group is made up of key partners including Greater Manchester Police, regulatory officers, and other emergency services. You may be asked to supply your operational and site plans along with significant crowd management plans for SAG to review before a decision is made.

You may be asked to attend a SAG meeting to discuss your event - this will be a virtual meeting on Microsoft Teams.

You will be asked to supply significant paperwork depending on the size and activities being planned. Your must have this ready to submit. The paperwork must be in date, site specific, properly labelled and titled. File and documents that are not properly titled with content and event title will not be accepted. 

Your suppliers and contractors will also be required to submit their company paperwork by a deadline.

This paperwork may include:

  • Public liability insurance
  • Method statement
  • Risk assessment
  • Safety inspection documents
  • Company health and safety policies
  • Technical documents and diagrams
  • Animal welfare documents

Your application may be refused at this stage if the documents requested are not received by the deadline or are ‘out of date’ or not site specific.

Sports, fitness, and wellbeing sessions

Fitness instructors, coaches, and wellness activity leaders must provide evidence of their qualifications and in some cases DBS checks if working with children and vulnerable adults.

Step three

You will then be notified of the outcome of your application, along with deadlines for any additional paperwork, licensing, site fees or insurance documents required.

For some events, you will be asked to sign an Indemnity Agreement.

Where fees are required, you will be given a breakdown of the fees and a deadline for payments.

Should your application be refused, an explanation of the decision will be given. The final decision will be made by the Salford Safety Advisory Group in the event of an appeal.

Travelling fairgrounds and amusement park applications from the funfair and bouncy castle sector

Salford City Council is accepting written ‘expressions of interest’ applications from funfair operators (Travelling Fairground Sector) for selected Salford parks. 

Sites not available include Monton Green, Clifton Country Park, Three Sisters, Worsley Green, Blackleach Country Park and Kersal Wetlands.

Applicants will then be contacted via email and may be invited to discuss their plans with the city’s Safety Advisory Group. This group meets monthly.

Commercial fees and a refundable bond will apply. Applicants must sign an agreement with Salford.

You must ensure all documentation, certification, insurance, and inspection paperwork is up to date and complete before you apply.

Please email eventapplications@salford.gov.uk with proposed dates and locations for funfairs.

Bouncy castles and other play inflatables: safety advice for event organisers

Bouncy castles and inflatables are fun filled activities for children at festivals and events in Salford, however they have many risks. Several serious accidents have occurred where inflatables have collapsed or blown away in windy conditions at outdoor events across the UK.

Check the HSE guidance for bouncy castles and inflatables. This will help you and your and suppliers understand why we require paperwork and insurance cover certificates plus simple safety checks from you to avoid serious accidents happening at your event.

Health and safety law applies to the supply, hire and use of inflatables for events.

This guidance applies to inflatables devices that are covered by BS EN 14960, and that can be used both outside and inside.

Important information: please read our advice page about organising an event

Apply to hold an outdoor public event (single application form)

Downloadable documents

If you are unable to view documents of these types, our downloads page provides links to viewing software.

This page was last updated on 17 May 2023

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