DERRY City and Strabane District Council is advising the public that following the introduction of new legislation last year, it now has powers to allow ‘special events’ to be held on public roads.The legislation which came into force in September of last year, gives Council or the relevant authority, the power to authorise and approve, by order, the holding of a special event on a road.
Among the special events defined under the legislation are sporting events, social events or entertainment, or the making of a film and examples of possible special events can include marathons, fun runs, street parties, concerts or social events.
Explaining the process of applying for a road closure under the legislation, Seamus Donaghy, Head of Health and Community Well-Being with Derry City and Strabane District Council said applications for a Road Closure Order must be submitted at least 12-weeks prior to the date of a proposed event.
He explained: “In keeping with the guidelines of the legislation, Council must consult with the public on any proposed road closure.
“The 12-week prior notice of any planned closure allows us to receive comments from stakeholders and the public and to receive representations in favour or against any proposal.
“In some cases, these representations can delay the process in excess of the 12 weeks and may even prevent any planned closure taking place at all.
“With that in mind we are working very closely through our Safety Advisory Group (SAG) and our key stakeholders to ensure that event organisers are aware of the legislation and of the processes involved so that they give us as much prior notice as possible on any forthcoming applications.”
He added that if an application is refused, the legislation does not provide a mechanism for appeal and that all event organisers, promoters are being urged to take this into consideration at an early stage.
Danny Meenan is the Principal Officer in Licensing and Safety Advisory Group with Derry City and Strabane District Council.
He explained that while Council has the power to recover the entire costs relating to implementing a Road Closure Order, the Council has agreed not to charge a fee for small, community led events that are organised by non-profitable organisations.
Organisers of commercial or large scale events however, will be required to pay a standard fee of £165 for each application and a further £250 for each public notice newspaper advertisement that is required under the legislation.
Details of any road closure, in addition to being advertised in the local press, will also be available on the public notices section of the Council website.
Event organisers, charities and promoters who are interested in finding out more on the legislation are urged to contact the Council directly for advice and assistance.
Danny Meenan added: “We are here to assist and offer advice as best we can and to give guidance to any groups and organisations on this legislation.
“There is information on our website and you can download an application pack by clicking on the following link – http://www.derrystrabane.com/roadclosures.”
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