Hosting Major Events in The Royal Parks May 2015 Hosting Major Events in The Royal Parks

Introduction

Our eight Royal Parks are among As custodians of these unique the most visited attractions in the spaces, The Royal Parks purpose is: UK, with over 77 million visitors “To manage the Royal Parks each year, and can mean different effectively and efficiently, balancing things to different people at the responsibility to conserve and different times. A leisurely stroll enhance the unique environments through the Isabella Plantation in with creative policies to encourage ; enjoying ’s access and to increase opportunities largest collection of roses in Queen for enjoyment, education, Mary Gardens in The Regent’s Park; entertainment and healthy or being among the 750,000 recreation.” children exploring the Princess of Wales' Memorial Playground in We have four corporate objectives: each year. Other visitors come for the range of 1. To conserve and enhance events that we host: from state sustainably, for the occasions to guided walks; from enjoyment of this and future sporting events to local community generations, our world class days; and from fun runs to natural and built historic celebratory concerts. We seek to environment and our balance the enjoyment and biodiversity; inclusion that events can bring to the communities and visitors we 2. To engage with our visitors, serve locally, nationally and stakeholders and partner internationally, with the provision of organisations, and spaces for quiet enjoyment and understand their views; relaxation and to protect and conserve our parks for future generations.

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Hosting Major Events in The Royal Parks

3. To manage the parks provide public enjoyment, social efficiently and secure inclusion and health benefits, as investment in the parks' well as contributing to the wider assets and services through London economy. But we recognise an appropriate combination that events can interrupt the daily of government funding, life of our parks that visitors enjoy, commercial income and particularly where areas of the philanthropy; and parks are enclosed for events, or roads or paths are out of use. 4. To be a centre of professional excellence where people We are publishing clear guidelines want to work. and criteria for events that we host and are setting upper limits on the The eight Royal Parks have a long numbers of major events, based on and historic tradition of hosting our current funding model, making events. We host around 30 major us more accountable to the events and hundreds of small communities we serve. events every year, excluding ceremonials, as well as licensing We estimate that we receive around other activities, such as fitness 5,000 enquiries for events every training, horse riding and a range of year. We want to better manage the organised sport activities. The expectations of those seeking to unique settings of our parks are a host events in our parks, as well as major attraction to event organisers establishing from the outset a and there is huge and increasing greater understanding of the demand to host events in our parks. constraints within which event organisers must work, including the We have listened to and respect the importance we place on minimising views of stakeholders, and the the impact of events on the park impact events can have on them. fabric and ecology, park users, local Hosting cultural, social and sporting residents, park operations and activities in the open space can ceremonial activities.

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Hosting Major Events in The Royal Parks

Background

As an of the from our events, including Department for Culture, Media and tendering for our largest events and Sport (DCMS), The Royal Parks working with event organisers to receives an annual Grant-In-Aid improve the customer experience of from Government. In 2008/9, when events we host, thereby increasing we previously reviewed our spend, and maximising our income approach to Major Events, we from a wider range of event income received £19.36m from streams. We have recently revised Government; for 2014/15 our our Event Rate Card and will keep Grant-in-Aid income was £13.3m. this under review during 2015 and During that same period, our overall in future years to ensure that it self-generated income has risen represents best value for money for from £14.57m to £23.3m the different spaces in which events (unaudited). can be held.

Our self-generated income derives Events provide a vital source of from a number of sources. Around a income to The Royal Parks, allowing third is from events. But the us to continue to maintain the parks remaining two thirds comes from a to high standards against the range of other income streams, backdrop of declining Government including catering, grants, lottery funding. We also host events to funding, licences, rental income, provide cultural, social and sporting filming and photography. The Royal activities in the open space, to mark Parks Foundation also raises funds ceremonial, unique and one-off for a wide variety of projects, events of a national or historic including through charitable importance and to promote a wider donations. appreciation of the parks to a diverse range of visitors. The We have worked hard in recent hosting of events therefore directly years to get better value for money supports the delivery of our

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Hosting Major Events in The Royal Parks

corporate objectives. Events also visitors. Speaker’s Corner is also a benefit the wider London economy, traditional spot for open-air public in particular the hospitality, tourism speaking, debate and discussion, as and retail sectors, which benefit well as protest and assembly. from spending from those attending events. Regular events include the start and finish of the London Marathon, The Royal Parks has been hosting Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, events for longer than most people Taste of London, Frieze Art Fair, the realise. Events in recent years Royal Parks Foundation Half include Nelson Mandela’s 90th Marathon, Chestnut Sunday and the birthday, the Tour de France, the last night of BBC Proms in Hyde Golden and Diamond Jubilee Park. More recent events include celebrations of Her Majesty the Ride London, in which 80,000 Queen, Live8, Pavarotti in the Park cyclists participated in 2014. And we and the hosting of 11 sporting are also host to hundreds of small competitions across six of our parks events in our parks every year, as part of the London 2012 Olympic many of which are enjoyed by our and Paralympic Games. One of the local communities, from sponsored largest ever events, The Great walks and runs to picnics and school Exhibition, was held in Hyde Park in sports days. 1851, attracting around six million

Scope

This document covers what we refer The Royal Parks hosts a range of to as “major events,” but recognises ceremonial events every year. These and considers the cumulative include the Changing of the Queen’s impact of all events and activities in Life Guard at Horse Guard Parade our parks. For example, our parks Ground and Changing the Guard at host a number of runs and walks Buckingham Palace. Horse Guards is each year, but many are not classed the setting for The Queen’s Birthday as a major event. Parade to mark Her Majesty the

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Hosting Major Events in The Royal Parks

Queen’s official birthday each June, in doing so, we may include more together with the ceremony of events than previously. This does Beating Retreat. The Mall and not mean that we have increased Horse Guards form the processional the number of major events, simply route for such occasions as the that we want to be able to better State Opening of Parliament and establish from the start the likely State Visits. Royal Gun Salutes take impact on our parks, visitors, local place in Hyde Park and The Green residents, park operations and Park to mark special royal occasions. resources.

The Mall and Horse Guards Parade The Royal Parks classes major Ground have become increasingly events as those that meet two or popular venues for other events in more of the following criteria: recent years. It is important that we • Over 4,999 ticketed capacity; continue to respect the historical • Greater than 4,999 event and military importance of these participants; ceremonial events. We have • Free-to-access events where therefore included minimising the crowds are expected to be in impact on ceremonial activities as a excess of 4,999; guiding principle for all events • 7,500 sqm or greater of event (please see park specific criteria for infrastructure; St James’s Park for more • On site more than 3 days, information). including build and de-rig;

• Requires multi-agency We have set upper limits on the planning; number of major events we will • Requires road closures host each year, based on our impacting beyond the park current funding model. “Major boundary*; events” can be commercial, • Involves more than one park; charitable or publicly funded. They and cover the whole spectrum from • Requires statutory consent sporting events to concerts. We (for example, Town Planning have sought to more clearly define or falling under the “major events” and recognise that

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Hosting Major Events in The Royal Parks

requirements of the Licensing and always aim to limit these Act 2003). closures to the minimum time necessary for the event and for We recognise the impact road and public safety. path closures have on park users *Some events require road closures that don’t impact beyond the park boundary

Our approach to events

The Royal Parks’ stewardship of the access for park users. We ensure estate goes back over 150 years and our parks are fully restored after The Royal Parks continues to apply events have taken place, funded by the highest standards of park event organisers. management when hosting events. Most events that we host are not We have reviewed our approach to delivered by us, but by a variety of events, and will: event organisers. We have a small, but highly experienced and • Set upper limits on the competent team that understands number of major events; the needs of our parks and those • Consider event applications in delivering events. We ensure that the context of individual park event organisers respect the seasonality; environment and heritage that they • Minimise concurrent events are working in, and the constraints across parks, impacting on that these bring, and put in place park amenity and our measures to protect the park fabric resources; and ecology. We work with event • Consider the cumulative organisers to deliver a successful impact of all events and event and to ensure that they activities in each park and appropriately engage with across all parks; stakeholders, and maximise safe • Consider the park protection

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Hosting Major Events in The Royal Parks

and reinstatement Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday, requirements across all park both in Hyde Park, and celebrations events; to mark Her Majesty the Queen’s • Seek to balance the national Diamond Jubilee, in both Hyde and importance of the parks with St James’s Parks. the communities we serve; • Seek to host a diverse range We are reviewing our application and balanced programme of process for all events as the current events across our parks; system places an unsustainable • Tender for events where this burden on our resources and does provides the best outcome not allow us to respond promptly to for our corporate objectives; event applicants. We want to • Have a fair and transparent ensure that we have one application application process for all process for all events, and that it is enquiries; transparent and well-communicated • Seek full cost recovery and to address the increasing number of income from events in unlicensed activities in our parks. accordance with our Rate Freeing up resource will also enable Card; and us to be more proactive in • Presume against approving generating new partnerships for private commercial events events and to encourage fresh ideas with no social, cultural, to support a balanced programme artistic, physical or of events. recreational merit. The Royal Parks has a duty to be Whilst we plan to limit the number proactive about improving access, of major events that we host, our as we are required to do under the longstanding tradition of Equality Act 2010. We also accommodating ceremonial, unique recognise that there are over eleven and one-off events of a national or million people with a limiting long historic importance, that reflect the term illness, impairment or history and traditions of the estate disability in Great Britain. By making and the nation, will continue. Past our events more attractive to them, such events include Live8 and we will not only be addressing our

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Hosting Major Events in The Royal Parks

duties under the 2010 Act, but will standard of accessibility possible for also be improving our customer an event in its inaugural year), we satisfaction levels and increasing have continued to build on the our income. customer experience; from the very first point of communication, to the The Royal Parks works closely with experience at the event itself, such our summer concert partners, AEG as use of the dedicated facilities and Live, to develop and improve access customer service. This is followed for guests with disabilities. Since the up post-event to ensure that the Barclaycard presents British service is continually adapted and Summer Time Hyde Park event improved to meet the changing began in 2013, where we achieved needs of deaf and disabled visitors. Silver Standard (the highest

Guiding principles for all events

We have a number of guiding • Are safe, well-planned and principles for all events that we host well-run, minimising the in our parks. These principles should reliance on our limited be read in conjunction with the resources; criteria developed for each park. • Are delivered by event organisers with proven Given the huge number of requests financial backing and/or we receive for events every year, funds; we will prioritise events that: • Are ceremonial or of a unique • Are consistent with The Royal or national or historic Parks corporate objectives importance; and published park specific • Are environmentally criteria below; sustainable, respecting and • Help us to balance our budget complementing the park and continue to maintain the environment; parks to high standards; • Minimise impact on the park

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Hosting Major Events in The Royal Parks

fabric and ecology, and whether to accept an application for guarantee full and timely a particular type of event. For reinstatement; example, we recognise that hosting • Minimise impact on parks a series of concerts every summer users, local residents, park in Hyde Park will impact on the park operations and ceremonial and on park users, local residents activities; and park operations. However, our • Prioritise accessible public choice of event organiser will be participation and take place in guided by the degree to which their open spaces. plans and track record respect the environment and constraints they These guidelines are designed to are working in, and minimise this steer decision-making about impact.

Park specific criteria

Each Royal Park has its own distinct These park specific criteria should features and natural constraints. For be read in conjunction with the example the demands of Richmond major events criteria, the guiding Park as a National Nature Reserve principles for all events and The are very different from those of The Royal Parks approach to hosting Regent’s Park Hub, the largest events. Whilst we have outdoor sports area in London. endeavoured to accurately reflect Managing the parks therefore the current events that we host, requires balance, and respect of the clearly some events, and event local environment. In developing names, may change. the park specific criteria, we have considered the numbers of major It is illegal to advertise in our parks events that we have hosted in the (including branding, sponsorship past. and promotions of products and

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Hosting Major Events in The Royal Parks

services) without the express Hyde Park permission of The Royal Parks. We Hyde Park has a long tradition as seek to limit advertising to within “the people’s park” and also as the the event site and work closely with venue for ceremonial and other event organisers over any proposal events. We will seek to avoid for any branding on or adjacent to scheduling major events during the ceremonial routes. To protect the busy summer holidays, unless it is a park environment, we do not unique or one-off event of a normally allow merchandise national or historical importance giveaways and flyers. which could not be held at another time. We will seek to strike a balance between the many uses and Bushy Park has some significant demands upon the park by practical constraints for major permitting the following annual events, not least the deer herds and major events: the sensitive natural park • Hyde Park Summer Music environment. Public transport links Festival; are limited in capacity. We will continue to host Chestnut Sunday. • Hyde Park Winter Wonderland; We are not currently considering • Royal Parks Foundation Half applications for other major events Marathon; and in Bushy Park. • BBC Proms in the Park and Radio

2 Live concerts. We will consider up to three major In addition, we will host the events per annum for Greenwich Triathlon in 2015. Plans to tender Park, in accordance with our criteria for one major sporting event from and approach to major events. We 2015 are on hold due to ongoing already host the London Marathon discussions over the potential and a major sporting event. We impact of the proposed East-West would look to host one other event, Cycle Superhighway through Hyde on either Bandstand Field or Park. The Parade Ground is nearing Queens Field. capacity for major events, and

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Hosting Major Events in The Royal Parks

needs to be available for the public Kensington Gardens per annum. to use, as well as to recover Events will generally be held on the between events. There are limited Albert Memorial Lawns, although other areas of the park where major Buck Hill has been successfully used events could be held. Therefore, before for a theatre marquee and whilst we will consider applications we would consider repeating a for up to two further major events similar type of event within these annually, we would not consider limits. Elsewhere in Kensington any major events with a site Gardens we will usually regard occupation, including build and de- major events as inappropriate for rig, of more than five days. All the design and traditions of the applications need to avoid clashing Gardens, unless it is a unique or with existing events, including in one-off event of a national and/or Kensington Gardens, and avoid full historical importance. Brompton road closures other than on Cemetery will only accommodate Sundays. small events which are sympathetic to the setting. Hyde Park has a long tradition of accommodating demonstrations The Regent’s Park and and protests which we continue to We will host Frieze Art Fair and respect, as long as the terms and Taste of London to 2016. We will conditions in our longstanding consider up to two other major demonstrations and assemblies events from 2014, taking into policy are met: account park seasonality and the https://www.royalparks.org.uk/__d reinstatement requirements of the ata/assets/pdf_file/0003/41808/de Frieze and Taste events. The Hub, monstrations_and_assemblies.pdf London’s largest outdoor sports area, also hosts a large number of Kensington Gardens walks and runs across The Regent’s All major events in Kensington Park throughout the year. Our Gardens will need to take into Premises Licence from the London account the scheduling of major Borough of Camden prohibits the events in Hyde Park. We will holding of major events on Primrose consider up to four major events in Hill.

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Hosting Major Events in The Royal Parks

St James’s Park, The • We will continue to host the and London Marathon; Set in a unique central London • We will host the Mayor of location, St James’s Park has London’s world-class annual extremely high footfall. Some cycling event (Ride London); and visitors enjoy the park as part of • We will host the existing 10k their daily walk to or lunch break running event in 2015 and 2016; from work; others come to relax in we will be reviewing our its peaceful green space. It is also approach for 2017 by early 2016. known for the many historic buildings that border the park, As stated previously, it is illegal to together with its exceptional advertise in our parks (including horticulture and bedding. The Mall branding, sponsorship and and Horse Guards Parade Ground promotions of products and are part of St James’s Park. If event services) without the express organisers are considering an event permission of The Royal Parks. We in these spaces, they must approach seek to limit advertising to within The Royal Parks in the first instance. the event site and work closely with We will preserve the tradition and event organisers over any proposal splendour of St James’s Park, for any branding on or adjacent to incorporating both The Mall and ceremonial routes, including The Horse Guards Parade Ground, as a Mall and Constitution Hill. Similarly, venue for state ceremonial events, and as host of the daily Guard and for this reason, we will not Change and other ceremonials, we usually accept other events for May aim to preserve the traditions of and June. We will seek to minimise Horse Guards Parade Ground. The the impact of events on ceremonial Parade Ground is not normally an activity, including Guard Change. appropriate venue for most event Therefore, The Mall is not normally proposals, and any events taking an appropriate venue for major place would need to take into events other than state ceremonials account military business and the and military parades, excepting function and security of adjacent that: buildings.

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Hosting Major Events in The Royal Parks

The green spaces within St James’s suited to holding major events Park and The Green Park are because it is a National Nature generally not suitable for hosting Reserve and a Site of Special major events. It is difficult to Scientific Interest (SSSI) and most accommodate the layout of major areas of the park are some distance events in these areas. The parks also from public transport links. Any have exceptionally high footfall and event, as well as respecting the a large number of organisations that natural park environment, also operate in and around the park, so needs to consider the herds of wild major events cause significant deer which roam freely. We will disruption. consider hosting up to three major events per annum, including: Increasing numbers of visitors come to St James’s Park for the New Years • The Mayor of London’s world- Eve Fireworks hosted by the Mayor class annual cycling event Ride of London. Due to the large crowds London); and and measures put in place to • The London Duathlon, up to protect the park, this is now classed 2015. as a major event. In keeping with its sensitive location and site We will seek to tender for a constraints, Victoria Tower Gardens Duathlon, or other event, from is only suitable as a space for small 2016. We will consider hosting one events. other major event per annum, in the context of our criteria and Richmond Park approach to major events. Richmond Park is not generally well

Hosting sustainable events in our parks

The Royal Parks requires event (Environmental Management organisers to manage their events in Systems) and to meet all applicable accordance with the principles of legislation. We expect events to ISO 20121 and ISO 14001 minimise their consumption of

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Hosting Major Events in The Royal Parks

energy and water and the go to landfill, unless in exceptional production of emissions, and to use circumstances. Suitable waste clean fuels. Any environmentally management records must be kept, hazardous materials must be including waste transfer and appropriately controlled and any consignment notes. Event environmental incidents are organisers must ensure all managed in accordance with best discharges are appropriately practice and legislative managed, with necessary consents. requirements. Events should use materials and products from sustainable sources The Royal Parks expects event as much as possible. Event organisers to manage and control all organisers should also promote the waste in accordance with the waste sustainable behaviour of attendees, hierarchy (Eliminate, Reduce, Reuse, for example using public transport Recycle, Recover, Dispose). We and recycling waste. expect no event waste produced to

Protecting and reinstating our parks

The Royal Parks requires event after events to determine any organisers to work to the best impact. We require event organisers practices of Environmental to fully fund the reinstatement of Management and to minimise the our parks after events, and we take impact of events upon the a bond from them in advance of environment of the Parks. Event events, to cover anticipated costs. organisers are required to propose For large events requiring Town measures to ensure that park flora, Planning consent, event fauna and habitats and the wider organisersare required to carry out park fabric are protected, including environmental surveys and to use of ground, tree and park demonstrate the actions they are furniture protection. The Royal taking to minimise and mitigate Parks surveys event sites before and impact, and to restore the parks.

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Hosting Major Events in The Royal Parks

One of our guiding principles is how and when the park will be minimising impact on the park reinstated. Whilst our parks teams fabric and ecology, and are experts in protecting and guaranteeing full and timely reinstating our parks, we cannot reinstatement. When we receive always guarantee timelines for applications for events, we will reinstatement as this is very carefully consider what impact we weather dependent, and subject to expect the event to have, and plan the seasonality of the parks.

Working with and engaging our stakeholders

We work with our stakeholders to In 2013 we created a residents ensure they are appropriately group and, together with our event engaged in events that we are organisers, we have continued to hosting. For example, for large meet regularly to address any events such as our summer concerns they have, such as litter, concerts, The Royal Parks and event sound and egress. organisers work with key stakeholders such as Westminster During the summer concerts we City Council, Transport for London, run, together with the event and the Metropolitan Police Service, organiser and Westminster City to ensure joined up planning, Council, a dedicated sound line, to delivery and monitoring of events. log sound complaints. Since 2013, calls and complaints have continued We ensure park users, local to reduce. residents and local businesses are aware of events and likely impacts, There are many channels through in advance of them taking place. We which we regularly engage with our are always seeking to improve stakeholders to get feedback, and engagement, for example through we have taken into consideration a better use of social and digital range of views and will continue to media platforms. do so. This includes bi-annual

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Hosting Major Events in The Royal Parks

stakeholder meetings, meetings Stakeholder Engagement Strategy in with the Chairs of the Friends December 2013, setting out our Groups for each of our parks and vision for and key principles of other ongoing local stakeholder stakeholder engagement, and engagement. We have set up a seeking feedback from dedicated ‘event feedback’ email stakeholders. We have considered address to ensure that concerns or stakeholder feedback and updated queries regarding events are progress against the key actions in responded to efficiently; the our final Stakeholder Engagement feedback gathered also assists us in Strategy, published in March 2014. future planning and improvement. This Strategy provides a framework to enable us to plan, deliver and Meet the Park Team events were monitor the effectiveness of our held in every park in 2014, targeting engagement, including for events, park users who do not regularly and to be more coordinated, engage with us, in an open and targeted and effective in the way informal way, and visitor research we engage our stakeholders. We was conducted across all parks, continue to welcome feedback on published in early 2015. We our stakeholder engagement at any published an Interim time at [email protected].

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The Royal Parks The Old Police House Hyde Park London W2 2UH

T: 0300 061 2000 E: [email protected]

May 2015