Tell us about a public event
If you are organising a public event to be held in the New Forest, please tell us about it by completing the online form below. You do not need to tell us about you event if it is very small, with less than 200 predicted attendees and it has no high risk activities. Please tell us about your event if you are unsure. More information on the types of events which we will review is on the New Forest Safety Advisory Group (SAG) webpage.
Information to include
Please include with your notification other documents associated with your event, for example:
- site-specific event risk assessment
- fire risk assessment
- event plan (particularly for larger events)
- site plan, including vehicle routes
To avoid delays in consideration of your event, please try to provide this information with your notification. Drafts of supporting documents are acceptable.
Our event organiser checklist gives useful information to ensure that you are prepared.
When to notify us
Where possible, we ask for at least 3 months' notice for events of between 500 to 10,000 expected attendees , even if not all information is ready. Still larger events are likely to take longer to consider and we ask for 6 months' notice.
What happens next
We will assess your application to quantify the level of risk posed to public safety by holding the event.
Small events such as village fetes, where large numbers are not expected or the event is routine in relation to the activity normally carried out, may not be considered in detail and as a result you may be contacted separately by agencies such as the police or highways if they require additional information.
If the level of risk is deemed to be sufficient, the information will be shared with the SAG group - whether in terms of numbers of people attending or the nature of the event and/or the challenge of the environment. We will generally share information in respect of
- events with more than 500 attendees
- potentially hazardous events such as fireworks displays
- events which may impact local people, such as cycling events
- events with a particular audience profile
Details of all events will be added to our online public events register to assist other event organisers in preventing any possible date clashes.
Assessment of your event
SAG members will consider the information you have submitted and may ask you questions or for additional information if anything is not clear or is missing. If there are no significant concerns in relation to the event, you will be notified that the consultation process has finished after 28 days, although this will be longer for very large or complex events.
In more complex cases, or where considered appropriate, SAG members may meet as a group to discuss a case and you as the event organiser may be invited to the meeting to discuss areas that are felt to need further clarification.
The SAG will not give permission for an event to go ahead, nor does it have powers to stop an event if it is identified as likely to compromise public safety, unless as part of a statutory requirement of an individual SAG member. In this case, organisers will be contacted directly by the relevant member.
After your event
We welcome post-event feedback in relation to notified events. This can be provided up to 28 days after an event has been held by either the public or the event organiser. A feedback box is provided on the public events register.
This is for general comments and experiences only, and will help with improving the safety of events in the future.
If you have a complaint that you would like followed up, contact the relevant council department as necessary. If your complaint relates to crime and disorder offences, contact Hampshire Constabulary.
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