Safety Advisory Groups are made up of representatives from Bracknell Forest and West Berkshire councils, emergency services and other relevant bodies. Members meet at regular intervals, or when necessary to review event applications and advise on public safety.
The role of the SAG is to provide advice to individuals and organisations planning a public event. Event organisers can refer their event to the SAG by completing and submitting an event form with any associated documents to PPPSafetyAdvisoryGroup@westberks.gov.uk
Please note that organisers for events in Wokingham Borough Council can find more information here.
Tell us if you're organising an outdoor event
Complete our event notification form if you're organising an outdoor event in Bracknell Forest or West Berkshire. The form will go through to our Safety Advisory Group.
Why do I have to tell you about my outdoor event?
We need to know about your event in case we need to put in place road closures, barriers, etc. in order for your event to go ahead safely.
What kind of events do you need to know about?
Examples of events we need to know about are
- Fetes, fairs etc.
- Open air concerts and music festivals
- Trade shows
- Sporting events
- Horse shows, agricultural shows, dog shows car, caravan shows and similar
- Open air entertainment including theatre, opera and historic re-enactments
- Firework displays
- Large scale company parties
- Processions, marches and carnivals
- Street parties
- Religious events
In exceptional circumstances the Safety Advisory Group may consider an event with unusual hazards or risks held inside a building.
What does the Safety Advisory Group do?
The role of the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) is to provide advice to individuals and organisations planning a public event, from small fun runs through to major public gatherings. This advice is in addition to any legal requirements and government guidance. The recommendations given by SAG are advisory only and it is for the event organiser to take such steps that are necessary to ensure an event is undertaken safely. However individual SAG members have their own legislative powers that may relate to parts of the events such as noise and traffic.
The Safety Advisory Group is responsible for ensuring all legal elements of events are addressed including the Licensing Act objectives as set out below:
- The prevention of crime and disorder
- The promotion of public safety
- The prevention of public nuisance
- The protection of children from harm
The nature and potential impact on the objectives will determine the manner in which the event is regulated and or advice is given by the SAG. This could range from general advice to appropriate conditions being attached to the premise licence through the statutory process.
- Promoting high standards of public health and safety
- Supporting the wider economic benefits to Bracknell Forest and West Berkshire by having well run events which are not hampered by unnecessary regulatory burden
The group meets at regular intervals throughout the year, and may invite organisers of events to meet and discuss their event management plans. These meetings are voluntary and attendance does not guarantee that statutory requirements are met but it does provide an excellent way to meet key officers and gain from collective event experience. Meetings usually take place virtually via Teams.
Who's in the Safety Advisory Group?
The core members of the SAG comprises officers from the emergency services (Police, Fire and Rescue Service and the Ambulance NHS Trust) and Council Services (Highways, Traffic Management, Emergency Planning, Environmental Health and Licensing) working across the Bracknell Forest and West Berkshire area.
The form will be circulated to SAG members to review.
The SAG will consider the information provided and depending on the nature and scale of the event, the organiser may be invited to one of the SAG meetings to discuss proposals in more detail.
Recommendations given by the SAG are advisory only and it is for the event organiser to ensure an event is undertaken safely.
You may wish to refer to event safety guidance which can be found on the HSE website
Useful links:
Bouncy castles and other play inflatables: safety advice from HSE - click here
Home Office Factsheet about new Protect Duty (aka Martyn’s Law) - click here
