Outdoor events guide

We own and manage more than 56 outdoor parks and open spaces. All outdoor events taking place in our parks or outdoor space must be approved by our events team.

The team undertakes thorough planning and consultation so that benefits from events can be maximised and disruption to the location, environment, local residents and businesses can be kept to a minimum.

There is a lot to consider when organising an outdoor event. If you are planning to host an event in one of our parks and open spaces and you don't know where to begin, this guide is here to support you.

Our team is dedicated to supporting events that contribute to our vibrant culture, environment and economy by working together with event organisers, partners and suppliers. We want to make your experience of hosting an event in Hammersmith & Fulham a great experience.

We look forward to working with you on your event.

Our events team will support event organisers throughout the event process and will guide you from the initial enquiry and application stage to post-event.

The team is here to ensure that you adhere to all legal and statutory requirements and necessary lead times to deliver an event that is safe and successful. Event organisers should be competent enough to ensure that all health and safety requirements are met.

We welcome and will consider a wide variety of events including:

• community events
• cultural events
• charity events
• sports events
• funfairs
• circuses
• commercial events.

Types of events

Community events

A community event is run by a community or voluntary group based and registered in Hammersmith & Fulham. The event must directly benefit our local communities and does not knowingly exclude any persons or groups.

It must positively impact the local community with support from local people.

Charity events

A charitable organisation or registered charity may raise money or awareness of itself through an event. A charitable event can be organised by:

• a not-for-profit community group
• an advocate
• an individual raising funds for a registered charity.

Commercial events

A commercial event is defined as a profit making, brand building, or promotional event. It can be a ticketed or a non-ticketed event and can last for more than one day. It may feature an individual or multiple commercial or corporate sponsors.

Corporate or private events

A private or corporate event is organised by an organisation or business for its employees or clients. It can be a private or a ticketed event with restricted access to the public.

It may also be a promotional road show or media event that has a specific desire to promote brands and companies.

This category also includes individuals organising a private event such as a wedding.

Contact us if you feel your event does not fit into any of the above categories.

Application form

H&F events applications form

A comprehensive application and approval process ensures that outdoor events are only approved once the applicant has correctly carried out all steps in the process.

Please include as much detailed information as possible as events will be assessed on the details provided.

Timeframes

Outdoor events take time to organise. That's why we have put together some basic timeframes to ensure you have allowed time for the planning and delivery of your event.

We require advance notice before the event date so we can process your application.

Terms and conditions

A comprehensive set of terms and conditions is in place to hire any of our parks and open spaces. These outline the event organisers obligations in detail.

The organiser's compliance with the terms and conditions will be monitored by the events team, and failure to comply will prejudice future event applications. Some events or specific sites might need to have separate conditions included to the approval process and these must also be adhered to.

The level and types of insurance required will be determined by the nature and scale of the event but as a minimum, all applicants will be required to have £5m public liability insurance.

The events team reserves the right to terminate the hire of the park or open space if the proposed use may cause public offence or bring the council into disrepute.

Our residents are very important to us and one of our organisation's values is 'Doing things with residents and not to them'.

Therefore, we value our residents' thoughts on certain events taking place and will always check if an event is something that will benefit the local community.

As part of the application process, organisers may be required to consult with park stakeholders (friends groups, local businesses, residents and councillors).

We have a wide selection of parks and open spaces.

Some parks are more suitable for hosting events due to:

• onsite facilities (such as power and accessible toilets)
• current park usage (such as sports pitches)
• transport links.

Contact us for advice on which park may be most suitable.

When you are planning your event, it is crucial that you have a vision in place to understand what it is you are hoping to achieve and who your audience or attendees will be.

Welfare facilities

You must have suitable toilet facilities for the expected number of attendees on site and accessible units must be available for for Disabled people.

As a general rule, if an event lasts no longer than 6 hours and no food or alcohol is served, you should provide 1 portable toilet for every 100 attendees.

Toilets should be kept clean throughout the event and may need to be emptied for large-scale or long-duration events.

Facilities including toilets must be clearly signed and located in accessible and flat areas of the park.

Generator information

The impact traditional generators have on air quality and the subsequent damage caused to the environment and people's health forces us to take action to reduce air pollution.

Assess how much power you will need before the event, and book generators accordingly.

Here are some examples of various alternatives to diesel.

Hybrid generators

Combining diesel with battery power to reduce emissions.

Static plugins

Accessing power from the grid via static plug-in points.

Alternative fuels

Using entirely new fuels such as glycerin or hydrogen to create electrical power.

Battery technology

Replacing generators with battery technology.

Drop-in fuels

Fossil-free fuels for use in traditional generators.

Consent to host your event

Depending on the size, duration and location of the event you may need consent from other parties such as the emergency services, TfL and the following council services:

• environmental health
• building control
• public protection
• highways and transport
• planning
• licensing
• parks.

General do's and don'ts of park use

Do:

• respect the park and its wildlife, plants, and trees
• tidy up after yourself and take your rubbish with you
• be mindful of other park users and residents to avoid causing disturbances
• acknowledge that certain areas may be reserved for sports and events.

Don't:

• do not use amplified music and PA systems - they are not permitted without prior agreement from the H&F Events Team
• do not use single use plastic, water bombs, fireworks, pyrotechnics and paper lanterns
• do not use motorised vehicles as part of your event programme. Any vehicle access onto parks and open spaces is strictly prohibited unless permission has been granted by the H&F Events Team
• do not arrange balloon releases - they are not permitted.

For full details on what is and is not permitted, please see our Park Byelaws. Park Byelaws must be adhered to.

No single-use plastic

As part of our commitment to cut out single-use plastic within H&F Council, we ask that all event organisers provide suitable alternatives to single-use plastic within their events.

Waste Management

All events of any size will generate a certain amount of waste.

This could include:

• packaging
• food and drink containers
• food waste from any food concessions and event attendees
• human waste.

As the event organiser it is your responsibility to ensure that there is a waste plan in your EMP and that the site is left in the same condition as it was found.

This may mean that you need to hire waste and recycling bins. If you have a larger event, litter pickers should be hired to keep the site clean over the course of the event.

A premises licence or temporary event notice (TEN) will be required for events that include licensable activities such as regulated entertainment or the sale of alcohol.

Smaller events with up to 499 attendees may be covered by a TEN. Events with over 499 attendees must apply for a premises licence if that particular space does not already hold a premises licence (some of our open spaces already hold a premises licence).

For more information see temporary event notices.

The fee for a TEN is £21 and this must be applied for at least 10 working days before the event. It is recommended that responsible event organisers be encouraged to give far greater notice of events, to ensure that potential problems can be identified and resolved well in advance.

Small scale events of no more than 499 people (including staff) at any one time and lasting for no more than 168 hours, do not need a premises licence, providing that advance notice is given to the police and the licensing authority.

Only the police and our public protection team can object to a TEN if they believe the event is likely to undermine the crime prevention objective or create ASB.

Premises licences apply to licensable events at which more than 499 people will be taking part in licensable activities at any one time or for which a TEN is not appropriate. Premises licence applications require a lengthier process than that needed for a TEN and therefore must be made well in advance of an event.

It is advised that at least 6 months' notice be given should an event require a premises licence. It is the organiser's responsibility to ensure that enough time is allocated to apply for a premises licence in advance of the event.

For more information see premises licenses.

The event organiser will be responsible for the health safety and welfare of all staff, suppliers and attendees at their event. As an event organiser you have a duty of care to attendees and members of the public to ensure that your event is run safely.

If anything does go wrong at the event, a thorough risk assessment will prove that you as the event organiser had done your best to predict and avoid any risks taking place.

The events management plan (EMP) must include detailed information on all aspects of the event, including health and safety. This document must be shared with our events team.

It is a legal requirement to provide a full risk assessment for all events. This should be included in the EMP.

The risk assessment is used to:

• determine any potential hazards and who could be at risk and how
• outline the action that will be taken to minimise risks
• determine how the action will be put into practice and recorded.

Example considerations:

• type of event
• capacity
• types of attendees – demographics, for example children, families, teenagers, Disabled people, older people
• vehicle movement
• crowd control
• safe ingress and egress
• emergency evacuation
• fire safety
• waste management
• first aid
• stewarding
• emergency services provision
• security
• equipment on site
• infrastructure on site
• potential major incidents
• health and safety.

Visit the HSE website for advice and guidance.

HSE publishes practical guidance on where hazards occur and how to control them. There are also useful templates available.

Accident and incident reporting (including lost children)

You as the event organiser are responsible for the welfare and facilities for contractors.

Organisers must have an accident and reporting form available for any accidents or incidents that occur during the event build, actual event and de-rig.
Forms can be completed by your events team, safety manager or first aiders.

There must be a designated area for lost children and a form to record any incidents.

Public liability insurance

Event organisers must have public liability insurance in place, as you could be held responsible for the costs, damages or injuries which may occur during the event.

The minimum limit of indemnity required is £5 million for each occurrence. For larger events a higher level of cover may be necessary. The insurance must cover the build and de-rig of your event.

H&F food, health and safety team

Our food, health and safety team will be able to advise on food hygiene and safety and will require documentation to support this. Environmental health staff may need to inspect any catering facilities at your event.

A detailed event management plan is required in advance of your event.

This will support you to plan and deliver all areas of your event safely and successfully and ensure that nothing is overlooked. The plan should be shared with all members of your team and the Hammersmith & Fulham Events team. There should be printed copies available at the event.

The document will be reviewed by the Events team and for larger events the Safety Advisory Group (SAG).

The SAG includes:

• Hammersmith & Fulham Council representatives
• Met Police
• London Fire Brigade
• London Ambulance Service
• events team
• security team
• first aiders.

Sections that should be included in the EMP

Event details

• Objective
• Description of the event
• Audience and numbers
• Marketing of event

Event management

• Roles and responsibilities
• Contact details
• Stewarding
• Volunteers
• Police support
• Site communication

Event safety

• Safety planning
• Accident reporting
• Lost children
• Risk assessment
• Method statements
• Emergency procedures
• First aid
• Fire safety

Event operations

• Event timings including setup and de-rig
• Site layout
• Signage
• Onsite equipment
• Waste management
• Sanitary provision
• Vehicle management

Event content

• Entertainment or activity programme
• Catering
• Alcohol sale

Download our event management plan and risk assessment templates:

Professional event guidance

The Purple Guide, published by the Events Industry Forum is a subscription-based website that offers guidance for event organisers, suppliers, local authorities and others involved in the outdoor events industry.

Visit the Health & Safety Executive website for further information on health and safety law.

Our fees and charges for 2024-25.

To contact our events team:

• email eventsteam@lbhf.gov.uk
• call 020 8753 2135