This procedure was approved on 3 October 2024. The procedure shall be in place for a period of 5 years from that date, however it will remain under review should amendments be necessary.
Contents
Contained within this procedure you will find:
- Background and Aims
- Objectives
- Roles and responsibilities
- Activating the Procedure - factors to consider as part of decision making
- Timescales for decision making
- Event Booking and cancellation policy
Background and Aims
This Adverse Weather Outdoor Events Cancellation Procedure is to provide guidance regarding Oxford City Council’s cancellation of outdoor events/markets taking place on Oxford City Council land or land that is managed by Oxford City Council.
Events bring significant benefits to the local economy and enhance community wellbeing. The decision to cancel, close or curtail an outdoor event/market can cause a lot of disruption with the potential for financial and logistical impacts for all concerned and is therefore never taken lightly.
Our key priorities are to protect the public, event organisers, traders and staff, and to prevent significant damage to outdoor spaces in the event of severe weather.
This procedure and guidance should apply in the following circumstances:
- A severe weather warning is in force and has been issued by the Met Office (the United Kingdom’s national weather service) for the event date/s and/or during the event get in date/s
- In the opinion of the Emergency Planning team and/or Safety Advisory Group, there is an unmitigated risk to public safety
- Severe weather conditions have occurred frequently in the run up to the event to the extent the event space is waterlogged/flooded or otherwise inaccessible and, in the opinion of officers with specialist knowledge of the outdoor event spaces (e.g. Parks team and Green and Blue Spaces Manager), will not recover sufficiently ahead of the event and/or event get in date/s
- There are concerns over the detrimental impact the event may have on the land in question, for example, where considerable damage may be caused to the land which impacts on long term future public use
All event plans must contain a weather risk assessment which should be in line with the minimum standards set by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Factors to consider include:
- Rainfall - soil moisture and rainfall runoff (ease of trafficability on site)
- Wind speed and directions at various heights above ground (for events with structures/staging/marquees) • Temperature including ‘feels like’ temperature
- Lightning risk
- Fog and visibility
- Sunshine exposure (UV, sunburn, drinking sufficient fluids, consumer demand)
- Ground temperatures (including concrete, grass, and soil at various depths)
- Pollen (health and wellbeing)
- Snow - amount and depth (general health and safety, or winter events)
Detailed guidance can be found in the Purple Guide.
It is recognised that all event/market equipment is different, and third parties must adhere to the manufacturer’s guidance for any equipment being used.
All event plans must also have a contingency plan for adverse weather, including an event cancellation procedure.
Before cancelling an event/market, consideration should be given to the following: alternative venues, postponement to a later date or a modification of the event.
Objectives
The objectives of this Adverse Weather Outdoor Events Cancellation Procedure are:
- To comply with Oxford City Council’s duties and obligations to its staff, traders, and members of the public under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
- To comply with Oxford City Council’ legal duties under the Occupiers Liability Act 1984
- To comply with Oxford City Council’s insurance policy
- To ensure any decision to cancel, close or curtail an event/market is taken fairly, consistently, and transparently and is communicated to all parties as soon as a decision is made
Roles and Responsibilities
The information below indicates the key personnel that will be called upon in the event of having to implement this procedure and a definition of their specific responsibilities:
Head of Service (or Executive Director in the absence of a Head of Service)
- Reviews and approves this procedure ensuring safety of traders, staff, and members of the public and the protection of open spaces.
- Discretion to waive or reduce fees and/or ensure capacity is in place to assist with managing the impact of the decision.
- Communicates with relevant officers and members, as necessary, including but not limited to: Head of Emergency Planning; Head of Finance; Head of Legal Services; Safety Advisory Group Chair; Health and Safety Officer; Green and Blue Spaces Manager; Culture and Community Development Manager; Events Officer; City Archaeologist; Communications Officer; Insurance Officer; Corporate Management Team; the Leader, Portfolio holder/s and Ward Councillors
- Seeks Legal Advice, if necessary
- Makes the decision to cancel, postpone or continue (with modifications as necessary)
Culture and Community Development Manager
- Monitors the weather situation and, if required, raises to the Head of Service.
- Refers the decision to cancel, postpone or modify to the Head of Service.
- Assists the Head of Service in seeking further advice.
- Communicates with the event organiser and communications team.
- Where additional capacity has been agreed, ensures staff are deployed to assist accordingly when the procedure is activated.
- Ensures event organisers are aware of and accept this policy when booking events.
Officers
Officers including, but not restricted to:
- Head of Emergency Planning
- Head of Legal Services
- Head of Finance
- Safety Advisory Group Chair
- Health and Safety Officer
- Green and Blue Spaces Manager
- Parks Officers
- Events Officer
- City Archaeologist
- Communications Officer
- Insurance Officer
Provide professional advice, as requested.
The Leader, Portfolio holder/s, Ward Councillors and Corporate Management Team
Provide political input, as requested.
Event organiser
Provides an updated risk assessment and attends meetings/site visits as necessary.
Green and Blue Spaces Manager
Undertakes site visits and provides onsite advice, accordingly
Events Officer
Undertakes site visits to check and report back on work undertaken
Event Organiser
Ensures all relevant actions are taken to implement the decision to cancel, postpone or continue (with modifications)
Communications team
Provides effective and timely public communications in the lead up to, during and after any live situations.
Activating the Procedure - factors to consider as part of decision making
A severe weather warning may not be considered a reason to cancel, postpone or curtail an event/market.
In deciding whether the event/market can go ahead in a reduced capacity, is modified, postponed, or cancelled completely, the Head of Service will decide using the following information:
Current and forecast weather conditions
What to consider: Check the Weather forecast using the Met Office Hazard Management tool – this should be for the days leading up to the event, the days of event and, where relevant, the recovery time after the event
Current and predicted condition of the site
What to consider: Amount and length of rainfall/snow, wind direction and speed levels, density of fog etc., ground firmness, areas of standing water, soil type, drainage etc.
Previous occurrences
What to consider: Insight and learning from previous similar circumstances/events
Updated risk assessment – hazards, likelihood, impact, mitigation
What to consider: What are the risks to people/the site/infrastructure and what mitigating actions can be implemented safely? Does an unacceptable level of risk remain?
Financial and logistical impacts
What to consider: Is there sufficient staffing/budget resource to implement in time?
Accessibility
What to consider: Are there any impacts on accessibility? If so, how can they be mitigated?
Reputation
What to consider: Are there any reputational risks? If so, how can they be mitigated? Who else may need to be contacted e.g. insurers, statutory services – see also the officer list above.
Timescales for decision making
Consideration regarding whether an event could go ahead or whether to consider cancellation, postponement or modification will be made at the following intervals:
- During the event consultation process
- 1 week before the event get in/build starts
- 1 day before the event get in/build starts
- 1 day before the event is due to open to the public
Where relevant, site visits will be undertaken – in all cases, the weather forecast will be checked and taken into consideration. Additional inspections may be required outside these times. Officer time will be charged to the event organiser as per the current fees and charges. The Head of Service may use their discretion to waive fees in exceptional circumstances.
The Head of Service (or Executive Director in the absence of a Head of Service) will endeavour to decide as early as possible to modify, postpone or cancel the event/market in full or part. Once a decision has been made, the event organiser/s will be immediately advised including the decision to waive the fee or not.
Event Booking and cancellation policy
- The Council reserves the right to refuse any application without explanation.
- The Council reserves the right to withdraw permission for use of any Venue at any time. When it cancels a hire, the Council will repay any bonds paid. However, it is not liable for any expense incurred by the Hirer as a result of the cancellation.
- Cancellation by the Hirer of a booking must be in writing and must reach the Council seven days before the scheduled Event at the very latest.
- On cancellation of the booking the Hirer must pay the full hire fee to the Council as well as any additional expenses incurred by the Council.
- Any amendments to the booking must be notified in writing to the Council which reserves the right either to cancel the booking or amend the hire fee, as it considers appropriate.
- The Council accepts no responsibility for the non-arrival from Hirers of application forms, payments or cancellations by the Due Date.
- The Council reserves the right to cancel any booking in the light of an emergency of any kind. The Council will consider refunding part or all of the fees and charges paid and the amount shall be at the Council’s discretion.
