Agenda item

The Committee considered the undernoted report:

 

“1.0      Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues

 

1.1             The Committee is asked to note that Council has received several requests from event organisers to host events across several city park locations in 2024 and these include.

 

·        Live at C.S. Lewis Square – C.S. Lewis Square

·        Outdoor Church Service – Waterworks Park, Woodvale Park and Marrowbone

·        Twilight Walk – Barnetts Demesne

 

2.0       Recommendation

 

2.1       The Committee is asked to grant authority to the applicant for the proposed event on the dates noted and to delegate authority to the Director of Neighbourhood Services to ensure the following:

 

                                          I.          If appropriate negotiate a fee which recognises the costs to Council, minimises negative impact on the immediate area and takes account of the potential wider benefit to the city economy, in conjunction with the Councils Commercial Manager.

                                         II.          Negotiate satisfactory terms and conditions of use via an appropriate legal agreement prepared by the City Solicitor, including managing final booking confirmation dates and flexibility around ‘set up’ & take down’ periods, and booking amendments, subject to:

 

Ø  The promoter resolving any operational issues to the Council’s satisfaction.

Ø  The promotor carrying out appropriate resident & community engagement

Ø  The promoter meeting all the statutory requirements of the Planning and Building Control Service including the terms and conditions of the Park’s Entertainment Licence.

 

            Please note that the above recommendations are taken as a pre-policy position in advance of the Council agreeing a more structured framework and policy for ‘Events’, which is currently being taken forward in conjunction with the Councils Commercial team.

 

3.0       Main Report

 

3.1       Key Issues

 

3.2       If agreed, the event organiser or promoters will be required in advance of the event to submit an event management plan for approval by the Council and all relevant statutory bodies. This will include an assessment of how the event will impact upon the surrounding area and measures to mitigate these impacts.

 

3.3       Live at C.S. Lewis Square – C.S. Lewis Square – Thursday 25 to Monday 29 July

 

3.4       Belfast City Council has received a request from Eastside Arts to host a two-day music event followed by a free family funday at C.S. Lewis Square in July. The events are due to be part of this years upcoming East Side Arts Festival and will have a Live Band that will perform on the Friday night followed by an Electronic music event on the Saturday. Both of these events will be ticketed.

 

3.5       The funday on the Sunday will be a free event aimed at families to attend throughout the day. It will include arts & crafts along with market stalls.

 

3.6       The Key Dates are as follows:

 

            Set up - Thursday 25 July 2024 – 8 am onwards.

            Live Band - Friday 26 July 2024 – 7pm to 11pm

            Electronic Music - Saturday 27 July 2024 - 3pm to 11pm

            Family Funday - Sunday 28 July 2024 – 12pm to 4pm

            De-Rig - Monday 29 July 2023 – 12pm

 

3.7       Outdoor Church Service – Woodvale 16 June, Marrowbone 23 June & Waterworks 23 June

 

3.8       Belfast City Council has received a request from The Ark Church Belfast to host three separate outdoor services in Belfast parks in the month of June. These locations are Woodvale Park, Marrowbone & Waterworks Park. These services have previously taken place in 2022 but had not taken place last year. The group wish to be granted permission to allow them to take place again this year.

 

3.9       The services are expected to attract around 200 attendees at each service. The service will include live songs of praise that will be played over speakers. They plan on having gazebos in place at each park to use as a cover in the event of bad weather.

 

3.10      The purpose of their request is to be able to carry out their services outdoors in the hope that it will reach new people. Each event will have stewards at them to ensure no issues occur and the group will be providing their own bins to ensure all litter is removed from the site.

 

3.11      The Key Dates are as follows:

 

            Woodvale Service 16 June 2024

 

            Set-up - 6pm

            Service - 7pm - 8.30pm

            De-Rig - 9pm

 

3.12      Marrowbone & Waterworks Service 23 June 2024

 

            Set-up - 6pm

            Service - 7pm - 8.30pm

            De-Rig - 9pm

 

3.13      Twilight Walk – Barnetts Demesne – Friday 27 September 2024

 

3.14      Belfast City Council has received a request from 26 extreme to host their annual Twilight Walk at Barnetts Demesne on Friday 27 September 2024. The walk will be a circular route, starting and ending at the Belfast Activity Centre. After the walk ends, there will be music with food available to buy for the participants, the radio station U105 will be in attendance and a gazebo, all within the grounds of the Belfast Activity Centre. At the end of the evening there will be a speech by a Marie Curie nurse, and a firework display the fire work display will go over the grounds of Barnetts Demesne with the event coming to a close at 10pm.

 

3.15      The event organisers are anticipating around 1000-1500 walkers for this event, passing down past Malone House to the Lagan towpath, then back towards Mary Peters’ Track, up around Queens’ University’s playing fields and back to the Belfast Activity Centre.

 

3.16      There is no formal charity collection on site, but Marie Curie will put out collection buckets should participants want to donate on the night. There is also a fee of £20 per person for participants in the walk. Marie Curie will pre-register participants for the walk, and registration will also be available on the night. This event has happened in previous years with no issues occurring due to this.

 

3.17      The Key Dates are as follows:

            Set up - Friday 27 September – 8am to 4pm

            Event - Friday 27 September – 5pm to 10:30pm

            De-Rig - Friday 27 September – 10:30pm to 11:55pm

 

3.18      Financial and Resource Implications

           

3.19      There are no known financial or resource implications at this stage,

 

3.20      Equality or Good Relations Implications/

            Rural Needs Assessment

 

3.21There are no known implications.”

 

            Following a query regarding the proposed events at the Waterworks Park, Woodvale Park and Marrowbone Park, the Member was advised that the organiser had held similar services in 2022 without issue.

 

            A Member highlighted that the update report was still outstanding regarding the status of the ongoing review into the framework and policy for Events and asked officers to pursue this matter with the Council’s Commercial team. 

 

            The Committee adopted the recommendations at paragraph 2.0 of the report.