Agenda item

            The Committee was provided with the details of a request which had been received for the free use of Alexandra Park to host the North Belfast Lantern Parade on Saturday 29th October 2022.

            The Members noted that this would be the sixth year that the festival would take place in Alexandra Park. The event was a project of the Ashton Community Trust, which was managed by  New Lodge Arts, a voluntary arts organisation across communities in North Belfast.

            The Members were advised that this would be a family event with tickets costing £2.00 each and noted a brief itinerary of the proposed events.

·        art workshops and street performances;

·        a lantern parade, that would make its way from Cliftonpark Avenue to Alexandra Park;

·        an evening event, including outdoor performances;

·        stage entertainment;

·        inflatables,

·        a petting farm; and

·        a firework display to close the event.

            The Committee was advised that the event organisers had confirmed that they would undertake to do the following to ensure delivery of a safe and successful event:

·        employ a security firm to safeguard participants and equipment;

·        employ reputable contractors to ensure a safe and professional event;

·        put a ticketing system in place;

·        ensure that a one-way system for the park was in place;

·        ensure that local residents were informed about the event 7 days prior to the event and that there would be no inconvenience or nuisance caused to the residents on the day of the event; and

·        work with the relevant Council departments to ensure the effective management of the park and event.

            The Members also noted that, to assist with the setup, the organisers had requested that the park be closed to members of the public for a period on Friday 28th October and that only members of the public with tickets could access the park on Saturday 29th from 2.00 p.m. until the event ended at 8.30 p.m.

            The Committee granted authority to the applicant for the proposed event on the dates noted and delegated authority to the Director of Neighbourhood Services to:

·        to negotiate a fee where appropriate which recognised the costs to Council and endeavoured to minimise any negative impact on the immediate area and take account of the potential wider benefit to the city economy, in conjunction with the Council’s Commercial Manager; and

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

            The Committee noted that the above recommendations were taken as a pre-policy position, in advance of the Council agreeing a more structured framework and policy for ‘Events’, which was currently being taken forward in conjunction with the Council’s Commercial team.