Public Events

(Concerts, Festivals and Community)

Events range from Street Carnival type festivals such as Halloween Event, Saint Patrick Day Event, Christmas Lights Switch-On Event and Charitable Events. The attendance can vary from a few hundred to 30,000 plus, but for each event the Event Organiser has the prime responsibility to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of everyone attending or working at the event. It is recommended that to ensure best practice the event organiser consults with the Derry City Council and emergency services when planning an event.

Derry City Council may depending on the size of the event organize an Ad-hoc Safety Advisory Group meeting consisting of Council officers from different departments including Building Control, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, Police Service Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Services, Translink, City Centre Innitative and other organizations that may be of help to give advice on best practice.

In most cases an application for a Public Entertainment Licence (a Special Safety Certificate for sports grounds if the event is to take place in within the sports ground) will be required.
 
Applications should be submitted to:

Licensing Department
City Solicitors & Secretary
98 Strand Road
Derry
BT48 7NN


The above department can give advice on the last lodging date for an application, which is related to the proposed event date. Experience has shown that for large events, contact with Derry City Council 6 -9 months  is a realistic timescale before the proposed event.

 

Contact

Licensing Officer  Mr Shaun Austin
Tel:  028 71365151
E-Mail:  shaun.Austin@derrycity.gov.uk

 

Ad-hoc Safety Advisory Group

An Event Ad-hoc Safety Advisory Group is normally created to co-ordinate all the planning aspects of major events. This group would meet periodically as necessary to ensure that all members are updated on the proposals.

This Service has a considerable input into major events at both indoor and outdoor venues, particularly in relation to crowd capacity, means of escape, raised structures, crowd control barriers and general safety matters. Contact with the Council is encouraged to discuss relevant issues at the earliest possible time.

 

Entertainment license

Building Control will carry out the following process when considering recommending the issuing of a license for the Licensing for Places of Entertainment.

The applicant must forward to Building Control 5 sets of Plans showing the layout of the premises.

• Presently 2 sets of these are forwarded to the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Services (this requirement is under review currently).

• Arrangements are made to do a   joint survey   with the NIFRS (All existing fire precautions or illegal works are noted on this occasion and any other item which may impact on fire safety or other matters)

All certificates associated with fire precautions are sought.

The NIFRS mark up their copies and return them to Building Control Department.
 
The licensee is then informed of all items or situations that must be addressed to comply with the Legislation.

When the licensee has the work completed in compliance with the legislation, (this requires re-inspections) the survey notes are transferred on to the Licensing Drawings in triplicate.

The occupancy numbers are worked out, again in accordance with the legislation, (every situation is different).

If a Building Control Application is necessary for illegal works of a structural nature this would be also be requested.

All layouts if changed in any way constitute a variation to the license therefore an application is required.

These drawings are then forwarded to the Licensing administration department in Council to issue the license for the premises or the event.