Event Planning and Notification

Land and Highway Consent

Closing a road for an event

You need to get permission to stop or limit vehicles or pedestrians on a road, footway or public right of way or for any other temporary traffic restriction such as a waiting restriction.

Some streets/roads are easier to close than others. Before making your application think about other residents, access for emergency services and the impact closing your road may have on other roads.

To apply for a road closure for an event, an application needs to be sent to the Head of Highways and Construction with full details of:

• event
• dates
• times
• duration
• traffic management proposals
• contact and invoicing details

You are advised to provide them with details of your event as soon as possible (applications could take up to 12 weeks to process for large events) so that Police and other interested parties can be consulted on your proposal in plenty of time. 

The event organiser will also need to tell road users and residents in advance with:

• temporary street signs and traffic management
• letters

For further information or queries on highways matters please contact the Streetcare Section within the Council at streetcare@pembrokeshire.gov.uk or 01437 764551.  Applications for Road Closure/restriction applications should be sent to the Traffic Section at Traffic@pembrokeshire.gov.uk or 01437 764551

 

Privately Owned Land

Early engagement and communication with landowners is the key to any successful event. 

You should always liaise with the owner of the land where your event is planned. It may not always be necessary for you to obtain every landowners permission (for example, if you are holding a walking activity along a public footpath).

Below are some of the situations where you must gain permission from the landowner. 

If your event:

• Crosses land which is privately owned or managed
• Needs new or temporary facilities
• Hinders land management operations
• Interferes with other people’s enjoyment
• Affects the environment.

Permission may be granted, with or without conditions, or refused at the discretion of the landowner. 

To find out who owns the land you would like to use for an event, use the National Land Registry

 

Public Rights of Way

There is a large network of public rights of way in Pembrokeshire including the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. Public rights of way cross land in private ownership and most public rights of way are classified as public footpaths. Large events entailing the mode of passage on foot (walking and running) on public rights of way can take place, however, the respective landowners and local authority should be consulted - the principal concerns would be the disturbance to farming operations, interaction with other rights of way users and damage to the surface. For further information on staging events on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path

Local authorities have powers to recover costs where public rights of way are damaged by 'extraordinary traffic'. Event organisers could be asked to contribute to the costs of repair to any damaged footpath surfaces, if the cause can be attributed to their participants. Consultation with local authorities with regard to timing of events and contingency measures for wet weather should avoid such cases.

Currently trials of speed by cyclists are not lawfully allowed on public rights of way. Any event that would entail cycling, horse riding or the use of mechanically propelled vehicles on public footpaths would require the express permission of the land owner and consultation with the local authority. 

 

Open Access Land

Open access land is common land and open country (moorland and heath). There is a right of access on foot to walk across designated areas of access land.

The land is mapped by the Ordnance Survey and is mainly to be found in the north of the National Park. Access land will be in some form of private ownership and is an important natural habitat.

Consultation with landowners and the National Park Authority is required for large events to ensure that an event does not impact on farming activities, such as seasonal livestock grazing or bird nesting.

 

Land with special designations

Some places within Pembrokeshire are specially protected as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs), Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), a National Nature Reserve or Scheduled Ancient Monuments.

Check if where you plan to hold your event has a special designation and if you will need any special permissions.  

You can find out where these are:

• The interactive maps at ‘Wales Activity Mapping’
• The Natural Resources Wales  search tool and find the designation documents and maps related to different types of protected areas of land and sea. 

You will need to seek the advice of Natural Resources Wales (NRW) on how to avoid damaging the special features of such sites

On SSSIs, landowners must obtain consent from NRW to carry out or permit certain operations – known as ‘operations requiring consent’ – that might damage the features of the site. If the site is also a SPA or SAC site a further assessment may be required.

It is important that landowners are consulted in good time to allow them, if necessary, to discuss the issues involved with Natural Resources Wales.

 

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park

The Park Authority can also provide information and advice on how to avoid causing damage to other sensitive habitats.

The National Park has many locations where wildlife and the landscape are sensitive. 

To help ensure that sporting and recreational activities happen in appropriate locations the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park has been divided into eight 'Recreational Character Areas' to encourage recreation at the most appropriate locations and times  Map of Recreation Character Areas

 

Moorings, Pontoons, Jetties and Slipways

A diagram of the waterway and the pontoon placing’s can be found at Milford Haven Port Authority's leisure guide       

Please note: There are other pontoons but they may be privately owned and managed and should not be used without the prior permission of the owners.

 

Council Owned Land

Early engagement and communication with us is the key to any successful event, and just because the proposed site is owned by the us does not mean that it will automatically be made available.  If you are proposing to use Council owned land you must liaise with us at an early stage. The issues highlighted in the private landowners section equally applies to Council land.

If you are looking to hold an event on Council owned land (other than car parks), please provide the information listed below and return along with the relevant fee (see fees and charges section) for negotiating and documenting the event.

• Event description
• Location (provide a plan showing the land required)
• Venue / site layout (provide a sketch layout)
• Dates 
• Times 
• Duration (including set up and take down after the event) 
• Event Management Plan including risk assessment
• Copy of indemnity insurance certificate for the event (in the name of the licensee and for a minimum of £5 million pounds)
• Charity number (if applicable)
• Copy of Temporary Event Notice (if applicable)
• Contact details of the licensee

In addition to the fee, there may be a charge to use the land for the event and a £250 bond will be held by us for the duration of the event and will be returned after the event as long it is left in a satisfactory condition.

Please contact our Property Department to discuss landowners consent on Council owned land at propertyhelpdesk@pembrokeshire.gov.uk or 01437 764551

 

Events on the Public Highway

If your event is taking place on a public highway i.e. any pavements, walkways, roads or pedestrian areas in Pembrokeshire you will need to obtain permission from the Highways Department. 

If your event is in a private location, but is likely to affect the public highway, you will still need to discuss this with Highways.

For further information or queries on highways matters please contact our Streetcare Team on 01437 764551 or email streetcare@pembrokeshire.gov.uk.

For Local Authority owned car parks you would need to contact parking@pembrokeshire.gov.uk

 

For further information or queries on highways matters please contact the Streetcare Section within the Council at streetcare@pembrokeshire.gov.uk or 01437 764551.