Planning an event
Chesterfield welcomes well-organised and safe events, our guidance below is to help make sure you deliver a fun but safe event.
As an organiser, you are responsible for the planning, organisation and operation of your event. You must ensure that your event meets all necessary health and safety, food safety, licensing, and COVID-19 legal requirements and guidance.
Chesterfield Borough Council organises and supports a wide variety of events all year across Chesterfield including fairs, pop concerts, festivals, markets, fun runs, family fun days, car rallies, walks etc.
The council can only give permission for events taking place on land it owns, some of the areas you can hold your events include:
- one of our parks or green spaces such as Queen’s Park, Eastwood Park, Loundsley Green playing field, Holmebrook Valley Country Park, Stand Road Park amongst others
- the Town Centre including Market Place, Rykneld Square and New Square. Please note that Chesterfield Borough Council does not operate Vicar Lane or St James’s Square, to enquire about holding your event in these areas please contact Vicar Lane Shopping Centre
The council also operates The Pomegranate Theatre, The Winding Wheel Theatre, and Hasland Village Hall. If you are looking for an indoor space to hold your event then contact Chesterfield Venue Hire.
Chesterfield Museum is also run by the council, to enquire about holding an event here please contact the Museum team.
Event enquiry form
Our teams will be happy to help you with guidance and advice along the way. In the first instance please download and complete the event enquiry form.
| Event Enquiry Form |  (Word 135 KB) |
For events taking place at one of our parks or green spaces then return the form to greenspaces@chesterfield.gov.uk. For events in the town centre send the form to markets@chesterfield.gov.uk.
Existing event application process
Once received the event will be assessed in line with our, existing event application process, where the event has taken place before, or the organiser has delivered similar events on council owned land.
| Application Process For Existing Events |  (PDF 80 KB) |
New event application process
Events which haven’t taken place previously on council owned land will be assessed in line with the new event application process. You can find out what information you will be asked to provide, and when, by looking at the application process relevant to your event.
| Application Process for New Events | (PDF 80 KB) |
Terms and conditions
These are the terms and conditions for use of parks and open spaces.
These terms and conditions are designed to protect the interests of the hirer and the council and are to the entire exclusion of all other terms and conditions.
| Terms and Conditions For Use of Parks and Open Space | (Word 74 KB) |
Use of some spaces for certain events may incur a fee.
Guidance
To help you with organising your event, the Government’s ‘can do’ guide to organising a voluntary event is a useful resource. Further guidance documents can be found on the Derbyshire Prepared website and will help you organise your event safely.
For all events you should consider:
- registering the event via the event notification form on the Derbyshire Prepared website
- produce a risk assessment - example risk assessment
- have in place appropriate public liability insurance
- produce a site plan
- produce an event plan - example event plan
- safe systems of work
- full COVID-19 secure details based upon the current government guidance
- cancellation of event protocols
The list above is the minimum amount of documentation required for your event to take place on council land.
It may also be necessary for there to be a legal agreement in place for your event.
Is there any food being provided at your event?
Each stall holder will be required to produce a valid certificate of public liability insurance, a risk assessment, a completed our food concessions form along with any gas and electrical certificates.
If your event includes any funfair ride you will need to provide a valid public liability insurance certificate, risk assessment and an Amusement Device Inspection Procedures Scheme (ADIPS) certificate (or DOC Declaration of Operational Compliance) for each ride.
Further guidance for funfair organisers.
There is also a useful guide for members of the public attending funfairs.
If your event includes any inflatable device such as bouncy castles, slides etc. you will need to produce a valid public liability insurance certificate, risk assessment and a Pertexa Inflatable Play Accreditation (PiPA) certificate.
More information and your legal duty on providing inflatables.
Live bands, amplified music, recorded music, performance of a play etc. The venue may already be licensed for regulated entertainment but if not you may require a Temporary event notice (TEN).
If you wish to sell alcohol at your event you may need a licence. This can be included in the Temporary event notice (TEN).
Your event will produce noise and you may need to complete a noise management plan. We will be able to advise if this is necessary.
If you are collecting for a charity, you may need a street collection permit.
Find out more and apply for a street collection permit.
If your event requires the closure of a road you will need to make an application.
You can apply to us for road closures for social events such as street parties, galas or parades and where the closure will last for no longer than one day.
If you need a temporary road closure for a different reason, or for a longer period of time you will need permission from Derbyshire County Council.
The government has produced a useful guide to organising a street party.
You may need to apply for a road closure.
If you trade in the street you may require a street trading license.
If you are having animals at your event you may need to ensure that the person bringing them has a license.
Firework displays and bonfires should be enjoyable occasions but need responsible planning.
Further guidance available on organising bonfires.
Guidance on organising a firework display.
The Department for Communities and Local Government have produced a community guide to celebrating with bonfires and fireworks.
You might be holding a prize draw, bingo or other form of gambling at your event.
See our gambling page for more details about permissions you may need.
We can promote your event free of charge on the Visit Chesterfield website. Submit your event to Visit Chesterfield for advertising.
Destination Chesterfield can also help promote your event through their website and social media. Contact the Destination Chesterfield team.
Displaying posters, flyers and leaflets for your event in a publicly visible space may be considered as fly posting. Find out more about fly posting.
Contact us
Our teams are on hand to provide more information and guidance.
For events in parks and green spaces contact our Green Spaces team 01246 345123 or greenspaces@chesterfield.gov.uk.
For events in the town centre call the Markets team on 01246 345999 or markets@chesterfield.gov.uk.