PART 1 PLANNING YOUR EVENT 1. Decide on the basics of your event, where it will be and when? 2. You may want to form a Committee to organise it. One person should be nominated event organiser to take responsibility for the overall running of the event. This person will be the main point of contact with the Council and the Emergency Services. Keep a record of everything you decide to do. 3. Where will the event be held? Consider whether the venue will have adequate access and car parking and if there will be any effect on neighbours. Early contact with neighbours, advising them what you are doing to minimise disruption to them can be invaluable and save you a lot of time and trouble later. Also ensure that all steps are taken so as to prevent, as far as practicable, noise breakout from the venue and subsequent nuisance to neighbours. 4. Where an application for a Temporary Licence to cover a short term event (maximum period of 6 weeks) please note that a minimum notice period of 14 days is applicable, otherwise the application will simply be returned without being processed. 5. Allow yourself plenty of time to organise your event. You may need a number of permissions and licences for various activities (see Parts 2 and 3). It may take longer to obtain the necessary permissions/ licences than you think. Licence applications should be made at least 8 weeks before your proposed event. 6. It is the responsibility of the Event Organiser to ensure that all the appropriate and relevant licences and permissions are in place prior to the event. Before you begin to organise your event or apply for licences Do not assume that because an event has been organised before without any previous difficulties, or without any formal permissions or licences having been obtained, that nothing is required. DO YOUR OWN CHECKING! 1
PART 2 LICENCE CATEGORIES 1. Market Operator's Licence This type of licence is required for an indoor or outdoor market run by anyone other than the City Council. A Market operator's Licence is not required when the market is part of an event held by a charitable, religious, youth, recreational, community, political or similar organisation. If you are not sure, please phone or email us for advice: Tel: 01224 522377 E-mail: licensing@aberdeencity.gov.uk A Market Operator's licence will be required if any commercial operators, in exchange for a "pitch fee" paid to the organiser, provide stalls or vehicles/ trailers for the sale of goods. 2. Street Trader's Licence This is required if you wish to trade in a public place like a street or a park. Trading includes selling goods of any description or offering a service to the public e.g. donkey rides. A Street Trader's Licence is not required if a Market Operators or Public Entertainment Licence is held. There is no exemption for charitable or community events. 3. Public Entertainment Licence This is required for certain defined activities where the public are admitted or use any facilities for entertainment or recreation. The defined activities include fairgrounds. 2
PART 3 - CHECKLIST TO DETERMINE WHICH, IF ANY, LICENCES ARE REQUIRED FOR YOUR EVENT STALLS OR VEHICLES/TRAILERS SELLING GOODS 1. If there is to be more than one stall or vehicle/ trailer for the sale of goods or food, and the operators of these stalls keep the sale proceeds and only pay a pitch fee to the organiser, the organiser should apply for a Market Operator's Licence. 2. If the organiser does not apply for a Market Operator's Licence, then each individual stallholder (and all their employees) selling goods or food require a Street Trader's Licence. 3. Operators of vans/trailers selling food must have a Food Safety Certificate from Environmental Health in respect of each individual vehicle. 4. If there are multiple stalls and all the proceeds go directly to the organising body, e.g. where the event is organised by a charitable, religious, youth, recreational, community, political or similar organisation, for their own benefit, there is no need for the organiser to hold a Market Operators Licence. FAIRGROUND RIDES / BOUNCY CASTLES 1. If there is to be a fairground (i.e. more than one ride and/or fairground type of stall, e.g. coconut stall), the fairground organiser needs a Public Entertainment Licence. The person who needs to apply for the licence is the operator of the fairground i.e. the person who is to be in actual charge of all the rides, the indemnity insurance is in his name and he employs all the ride operators. Note: a bouncy castle comes within the definition of a fairground ride. 2. If there is only one fairground ride, a Public Entertainment licence would not be appropriate. The operator (and all his employees) then requires a Street Trader's Licence. 3. Operators of fairgrounds must provide the Licensing Authority with details of the proposed layout of the funfair, copies of Engineer's Certificates of Inspection and public liability insurance. This is essential before a licence can be issued. 3
STALLS OFFERING SERVICES If there are other activities for which a charge is made, but which does not involve the sale of goods or amount to fairground rides, then a Street Trader's Licence is required. Examples of this could be where donkey rides, clairvoyants or aromatherapy massages were offered for a charge. 4
PART 4 - OTHER LICENCES OR PERMISSIONS WHICH MAY BE REQUIRED a) Public Charitable Collection - Permission is required to collect on behalf of a charity at your event. b) Lottery Registration - Various permissions may be required for a draw or raffle to be held at the event. c) Second Hand Dealer's Licence - Anyone operating a business selling most types of second hand goods (including antiques) would require to hold a Second Hand Dealer's licence. d) Theatre Licence - A theatre licence may be required if there is a public performance of a play. e) Alcohol/Liquor Licences - An occasional licence from the Licensing Board will be required if you intend to sell alcohol. f) Use of animals for entertainment or as part of an event requires a Performing Animals Registration from Aberdeen City Council Environmental Health Service. 5
PART 5 - FEES AND APPLICATION FORMS Fees are payable with the application form. A full list of fees can be found on the Licensing Home Page All licensing application forms can be found in the A - Z of Services - Click L for Licences. 6
SECTION 3 NOISE Sound amplification systems should be designed, installed and used so as to prevent as far as is practicable noise breakout from the site and subsequent nuisance to persons employed or resident in the locus of the site. This may include the use of sound limiting devices and/or suitably designed screening. Any generators, compressors or other machinery and vehicles should be suitably silenced and strategically placed in order to minimise noise nuisance and such equipment should be shut down in period of non-use. Sound amplification equipment, generators, compressors and other noisy machinery should follow the guidance below or at such other times as agreed by the Environmental Health Service. Organisers should ensure they are aware and comply with all relevant legal requirements and duties imposed under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. In this connection consultation should take place with the Environmental Health Service at least 4 weeks prior to the event taking place in order to ensure all practices and measures aimed at mitigating any nuisance are adopted. Reference should be made to the Code of Practice of Environmental Noise Control at Concerts (ISBN 0900 103 515). In particular the Music Noise Level (MNL) should not exceed 65dB(A) over a 15 minute period, measured 1 metre from the façade of any noise sensitive premises between the hours of 0900-2300. For the hours after 2300, the (MNL) should not be audible within noise sensitive premises with windows open. The publication Guide to Health, Safety and Welfare at Pop Concerts and Similar Events (ISBN 011 341 0727) will be of assistance with regard to the above. Proper and adequate publicity, e.g. leaflet distribution, press and radio announcements, should be provided to persons employed or resident in the area of any events likely to give risk to nuisance. 7
Useful Contacts Contact Owner of Land Neighbours Your Insurance Company Grampian Police - Emergency Planning and Event Coordination Grampian Fire & Rescue Service Aberdeen City Council Licensing Legal and Democratic Services City Events Team Assistance and Guidance to event organisers Roads - Road Closures and Waiting Restrictions Building Standards -Raised Structure Permit Environmental Health Food Safety/Health and Safety/Performing animals Trading Standards - Sale of Goods on Market Stalls Education Culture & Sport - Performance Licences for School Age Children Civil Aviation Authority Balloon Release/Fireworks/Lasers Telephone Number Email Address 0845 600 5 700 servicecentre@grampian.pnn.police.uk 01224 696666 info@grampianfrs.org.uk 01224 522377 licensing@aberdeencity.gov.uk 01224 523172 cityevents@aberdeencity.gov.uk 01224 522427 01224 523470 pi@aberdeencity.gov.uk 01224 523800 commercial@aberdeencity.gov.uk 01224 523737 tradingstandards@aberdeencity.gov.uk 01224 523898 mforbes@aberdeencity.gov.uk www.caa.co.uk Maritime & Coastguard 01224 592334 Agency (Aberdeen Branch) Balloon Release/Fireworks/ Lasers First Aid Agencies British Red Cross 0844 871 1111 information@redcross.org.uk St Johns Ambulance St Andrew s First Aid 0844 921 0066 8
PLACES OF PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT Bonfires Bowling alleys Bungee-Jumping Sites Church Halls Circuses Community Centres Concert Halls Dance halls Discotheques Dry Ski Centres Fairgrounds Fetes with Tented Accommodation Firework Displays Halls used for Voluntary Organisations Ice Rinks Motorbike Stunt Shows Premises for Pop Concerts Premises for Live Band performances Premises for Variety Show Premises for Musical Shows Premises for Raves Premises for Musical Festivals Premises for Paint Ball Games 9
Premises for Laser Displays Premises for Laser Games Premises for Health and Fitness including Gyms Public Halls Roller Skating Rinks Schools and other Educational Establishments or parts thereof within which the number of members of the public admitted to or taking part in any singe event or activity at any one time exceeds 60 Skateboarding Sports Centres Swimming Pools Vehicle Stunt Shows 10