Organising your own event
The parks are ideal places to hold your own event, from community picnics to concerts and festivals. We welcome requests from groups and organisations to organise their own events and activities in the parks in Milton Keynes. We just ask that you follow some simple rules…
Licensing
Most events need a licence: this is so we can help you ensure that the event is organised safely and that it doesn’t clash with anything else, either another event or management work that may be going on in the park at the same time. A licence lists the conditions that the organisers need to abide by to protect the participants of the event, the parks themselves and other park users.
What kind of activities do you need a licence for?
Any activity with more than 50 participants expected, including but not exclusively:
- Concerts
- Festivals
- Carnivals / Community Fairs / Village Fetes
- Religious services
- Circuses
- Funfairs
- Plays
- Showing of films
- Picnics
- Barbeques
- Sporting activities
- Corporate Events
- Wedding / Handfasting / Blessing ceremonies
- Performances of dance or music
And Also (regardless of numbers)
- Commercial Photography
- Commercial Filming
- Distribution of promotional samples or literature
- Trading of any description
- Lotteries or competitions
- Surveying
- Club events, including fitness and running groups
- Sponsored events
Licences WILL NOT be issued for ANY water sports or water based activities.
Applying for a licence
If you’re not sure whether your activity requires a licence, please call Briony Serginson on 01908 255374, email b.serginson@theparkstrust.com to discuss further.
To apply for a licence, you need to complete an application form
Once you’ve made your application we’ll contact you to discuss your requirements in more detail and to formally book the date and the location you’ve requested.
Locations
Events can be held in any of the parks but some parks are more suited to large events than others.
Campbell Park has a purpose-built events arena and amphitheatre with a capacity of 9,999 people. It has a premises licence and is licenced for the following:
- Regulated Entertainment by Plays and Films
- Indoor Sporting Events
- Regulated Entertainment by Live Music
- Regulated Entertainment by Recorded Music
- Performances of Dance
- Provision of facilities of a similar description the performance of live music, recorded music and dance but not mentioned above
- Provision of Facilities for Making Music
- Provision of Facilities for Dancing
- Provision of facilities of a similar description to the provision of facilities for making music and dancing but not mentioned above
Mon – Sun 09.00 – 23.00
Supply of Alcohol by retail
- Mon – Wed 11.00 – 22.00
Thurs – Sat 11.00 – 23.00
Sun 12.00 – 22.00
Applications to hold events at Campbell Park MUST be made at least 10 weeks before the event is due to take place.
Other parks with large capacities include Furzton Lake, Linford Manor, Caldecotte Lake and Willen Lake North. We’ll discuss the location with you when you apply to ensure that your event is suitable for the venue.
If you want to hold a licensable event in any of our parks other than Campbell Park you’ll need to apply for a premises licence direct from Milton Keynes Council licencing team, email licencing@milton-keynes.gov.uk for details.
Fees
In some instances, licences are free. However a Land Bond is applied to most events. This is a returnable deposit to cover the costs of any damage that may be caused as a result of the event. The bond is usually returned in full after the event but, occasionally, it may be necessary to retain all or part of the bond to cover repairs. If this happens a full explanation of the costs which are being recovered will be supplied to you.
Current fees schedule - 2013 rate card
| Type of Event | Attendance | Land Bond | Licence Fee |
| Commercial event eg circus, funfair, motor show, car parking | 9999 maximum | £2000 | £300 +VAT per day |
| Personal event eg wedding, family barbeque | 25 - 50 | £50 | £0 |
| Personal event | 51+ | £100 | £100 + VAT + £50 / 100 additional people |
| Corporate event | 0 - 250 | £1000 | £250 + VAT |
| Corporate event | 251 + | £1000 | £350 + VAT |
| Charitable /community Event | 0 - 49 | £0 | £0 |
| Charitable /community Event | 50 - 500 | £500 | £120 + VAT |
| Charitable / community Event | 501 + | £1000 | £200 + VAT |
Film, advertising & still photography
A: Charges apply for any period up to 10 hours
B: Charges apply for a period of 10 - 24 hours
- Extensions by arrangement
- Fees are inclusive of administration charges
- ALL fees are subject to VAT at the current rate
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising & feature films | £1,200 | A + £500 |
| Set dressing, construction, preparation and strike | £350 | A + £300 |
| TV drama | £1000 | A + £300 |
| Children's education, corporate, pop music, promotion, TV light entertainment | £700 | A + £200 |
| Schools, charitable organisations and news bulletins | FREE OF CHARGE | |
| Still photography, advertising and promotion | £200 | |
| Interviews/sound recording up to a maximum 3 hours: | £150 | |
| Staff charge-out cost, per hour per person: | £40 | A + £30 |
Other information
Depending on the nature of your event, we’ll also need the following documents to accompany your application:
- If food is to be provided at the event, food hygiene certificates are required for all people dealing with food on the day – a copy of each one will be requested with signed licence.
If alcohol is to be sold at the event, copies of your personal licence will be required. Please note that in most cases it will be necessary for you to apply for your own licence from Milton Keynes Council for the sale of alcohol. This will be discussed on application.
All events (with the exception of personal events with less than 50 participants) need to have public liability insurance with an indemnity of £5 million – a copy of the certificate will be requested with the signed licence.
All events will be expected to have a risk assessment to ensure that health and safety measure are in place to protect participants and other park users. Download the sample assessment form from the right hand column of this page. - For licensable events other than at Campbell Park, a premises licence or Temporary Event Notice must be provided.
For large events with more than 500 people expected, a full event plan with emergency procedures will be required.
