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Safety advisory group

If you are planning an outdoor event in Darlington, PESAG (the public event safety advisory group) would like to know about it.

PESAG has been set up to provide advice and guidance to organisers of public events in the Darlington area.

The core members of the group are senior officers from all the emergency services working in the borough of Darlington (Police, Fire and Rescue Service and the Ambulance NHS Trust) and Council services (highways, building control, environmental health and licensing).

PESAG's main objectives are:

  • to encourage high levels of safety and welfare at events by giving advice
  • to encourage good practice in safety and welfare planning for events
  • to ensure events cause minimal adverse effects

All comments and observation made by PESAG are always advisory.

It has no statutory compulsion and organisers are under no obligation to submit information, attend PESAG meetings, or follow PESAG's advice.

However each of the constituent members have their own regulatory role and may exercise their powers independently.

What is an event?

Typical examples of events PESAG would look at include:

  • fetes and fairs
  • open air shows/events
  • trade shows
  • sporting events
  • horse shows, agricultural shows, dog shows, car/caravan shows and similar
  • open air entertainment including concerts, music festivals, theatre, opera and historic re-enactments
  • firework displays
  • large scale company parties
  • processions, marches and carnivals
  • road races
  • street parties
  • charity stunts
  • religious events
  • events in buildings that are not licensed under the Licensing Act 2003

Guidance for organisers

Please read safety guidance for organisers of public events [pdf document] before sending us your proposal. The additional guidance below may also be useful:

Using Council land

PESAG is not responsible for giving permission to use Council land or granting licenses for events but it does expect evidence that you have the necessary permissions.

You should also consider what consents and licences you need including possible road closures and planning permission in some exceptional cases.

Get all the application forms together and work out a timetable and find out whom they need to go to.

Obtaining the written permission of the landowner is an important starting point for the event you are planning.

To obtain permission to use Council land (Parks and Open Spaces) make a request to:

Parks & Countryside Ranger Team
The Clock Tower Lodge
South Park
DL1 5TG

Phone: 01325 406719 / 40579.

email: [email protected].

For the pedestrianised areas of the Town Centre call the Events Team on 01325 406417.

Where a licence is required an application must be submitted separately to licensing: [email protected]

Please Note: Darlington Borough Council does not permit the use of inflatables or bouncy castles on their land.

Notify us of your event

At the earliest opportunity you should advise PESAG of your proposal to organise an event.

This should be done by sending an event notification form (F1) to the environmental health manager, Town Hall, Darlington, DL1 5QT.

The form is available as a pdf or a word document.

It should be accompanied by a site plan showing the detail of entrances/exits and the nearest access roads. Messages and documents may also be sent to [email protected].

If road closures are required then the highways authorities prefer that applications are made more than 12 weeks before the event to allow enough time to carry out a proper risk assessment and to identify the effects on the highway network.

Additional event forms

 

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