Decision details

With the express permission of the Chair, this item was moved up the agenda.

In respect of the Carnival’s Event Management Plan, a list had been circulated at the meeting to show how many items including PLI and Food Safety Certificates were missing.  Consequently, the Operations and Estates Officer advised that he was not happy to issue an event permit to the Carnival as it would expose the Council to an unacceptable level of risk if Officers had not seen the required documentation as requested by the Council’s external Health and Safety Advisor. The Town Council had a responsibility as landlord of The Leys to ensure that these items were in order, demonstrating due diligence to discharge the Council’s liability.

The Town Clerk added that she’d had a conversation with the Chair of the Carnival Committee and he had cited GDPR as the reason that the information had not been passed on.  However, she pointed out that the stall holders should have been informed at the start how their data would be shared - passed on to the Town Council as part of the Event Management Plan.

The Operations & Estates Officer informed Councillors of the requirements set out in the Council’s Events Terms and Conditions of hire, and how both Libfest and Witney Music Festival had been compliant in supplying the required information.  It was important that all event organisers were treated the same.

RESOLVED:         that at 7.16pm the committee adjourned the meeting so that it could have a free dialogue with Mr Spurs.

At 7.26pm the Committee reconvened.

Further to the discussion the Town Clerk reiterated that neither she or the Operations and Estates Officer would sign the Event Permit for the Carnival and were therefore absolving themselves of any responsibility for the event, due to the fact that the Council would be facing an unacceptable level of risk if the Committee chose to issue a permit.

The Mayor proposed that he would sign the event permit at 12pm on 9 July 2019 subject to an e-mail from the Carnival Committee stating that they would be checking public liability insurance and food safety certificates on the day of the Carnival and supplying photographic evidence of all of the required documentation to the Town Council.  The Carnival Committee must tell all stall holders that if they did not supply this information then they would not be able to hold their stall.  All members were in favour.

The Committee received and considered the report of the Operations and Estates Officer as circulated with the agenda.

The Committee agreed that wash up meeting should be held with LibFest, the Music Festival and the Carnival and as soon as possible following these, one meeting to which all were invited to. 3 councillors should attend these meetings.

The deposit from the Music Festival would be retained due to the damage on The Leys until this had been discussed at the wash up meeting.  It would then be decided if this should be retained permanently. 

Members also requested that the Large Events Policy was brought to the next meeting for review so that the Committee could ensure that there was a standard practice in place.  This should include consideration of environmental impact.

RESOLVED:

1.            that the report of the Operations and Estates Officer be noted;

2.            that the Mayor signs the event permit at 12pm on 9 July 2019 subject to an e-mail from the Carnival Committee stating that they would be checking public liability insurance and food safety certificates on the day of the Carnival and supplying photographic evidence of all of the required documentation to the Town Council.  The Carnival Committee must tell all stall holders that if they did not supply this information then they would not be able to hold their stall;

3.            that wash up meeting should be held with LibFest, the Music Festival and the Carnival and as soon as possible following these, one meeting to which all were invited to. 3 councillors should attend these meetings;

4.            that the deposit from the Music Festival would be retained due to the damage on The Leys until this had been discussed at the wash up meeting.  It would then be decided if this should be retained permanently;

5.           that the Large Events Policy be brought to the next meeting for review so that the

       Committee could ensure that there was a standard practice in place.  This should

               include consideration of environmental impact.

 Mr Ron Spurs left the meeting at 7.35pm.