Organising an event on Council land in Adur and Worthing

See also:

Before planning your event

If you want to hold an event on land owned by the council, you will need permission from our Events Team.

Before planning your event please contact us to make sure the area of land you want to use is available and suitable for the type of event you are proposing:

Events Team,
Place & Economy,
Adur & Worthing Councils,
Worthing Town Hall,
Chapel Road,
Worthing,
West Sussex,
BN11 1HA

Tel: 01903 221207 / 01903 221070
email: events@adur-worthing.gov.uk

Information about organising an event on council land:

anyone can organise an event
an event can be anything from a sponsored walk or community picnic through to large-scale music or sporting spectaculars
anywhere outside on public land can be considered a possible event site, examples are our parks, community spaces, streets or the seafront
you can have an event at any time of year
please read our conditions of hire
expect to be asked to pay a fee for the use of our land, see below the charges for outdoor events

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How much does it cost?

Charges are for events are as follows:

Prices from 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026. Prices are subject to an annual increase in April, prices correct as at 1st April 2025.

Fees and charges 2025/26
Description	Fee
Commercial events with an audience up to 1,000 per day (ie funfair or circus)	£710.00 (includes 1 day either side for build and derig)
Commercial events with an audience of 1,000+ per day	£1,410.00* (includes 1 day either side for build and derig)
Event build and derig fees	25% of event fee for build and derig outside either side of event day(s)
National charities per day	£360.00
Local Charities & Community Organisations with an audience of 50+ per day	£66.50 (includes 1 day either side for build and derig)
Community events with an audience of less than 50	Nil
Damage deposit:	Small event: £200.00 Medium event: £350.00 Large event: £500.00 Major event: £1,000.00 to £3,000.00

Note: A refundable damage deposit may be charged and will be confirmed on booking your event.

* The council reserves the right to vary price for large scale events

Cancellation policy

Event organisers may be charged an open space event cancellation fee at the point of booking.

In the event that you cancel your event cancellation fees will be charged based on:

25% of your overall event fee within 90 days of the event date
50% of your overall event fee within 60 days of the event date
75% of your overall event fee within 30 days of the event date
No refund within one week of the event date

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How to enquire about using an open space in Adur and Worthing

To enquire about using an open space in Adur and Worthing please complete the form below:

Enquire about using an open space in Adur and Worthing

Please note: if the events team require more information about your enquiry, they will email you directly.

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Application process

Once you have completed the online enquiry form, if everything's in order you will receive an email confirming your provisional booking.

You will then be required to submit the following documents:

event management plan (if applicable)
comprehensive risk assessment
public liability insurance certificate in the sum of £10M as a minimum (£5M for small local community events)
a signed copy of the conditions of hire agreement

If everything is in order we will confirm your event.

For further information on organising a safe event see:

Documents you need to read, fill out and return:

Open space event locations (647KB)

Then:

Fill out the enquiry/application form (above)

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Outdoor fitness classes in Adur and Worthing

Outdoor personal fitness classes and 'boot camps' have become increasingly popular in our parks and open spaces and the council does need to ensure that fitness operators have our permission to run their business from our sites.

As part of a healthy lifestyle, the council encourages residents to enjoy our open spaces and joining an outdoor fitness class is a great way to look after your health and wellbeing.

The increase in popularity of outdoor fitness also raises a number of issues:

it is not easy for residents to determine whether a fitness trainer is reputable, for example whether they are trained and qualified, hold appropriate insurances, follow best practice in respect of safety measures and DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service checks - previously CRB)
fitness classes, especially larger ones can have an impact on the grounds and maintenance of the park and on other users

Commercial fitness businesses hosting classes in our parks and open spaces are asked to register with the council and gain permission. The council will issue a licence and fees will be charged based on the type of class hosted and the frequency of the classes; this fee helps to support the administration costs and the maintenance of our green spaces used by those groups, for the benefit of all park users.

As part of the licensing process, operators have to be registered with REPS or UKactive and agree with their code of practice.

Applying for a licence

If you plan on running fitness or sports training groups in a park or open space please apply for your licence from us here.

To apply for a Fitness Licence please ensure you:

complete an application form
read and understand our conditions of hire
supply personal trainer/fitness trainer certification and qualifications
have Public Liability Insurance
supply a risk assessment covering the activity and the location of your class

Documents you need to read, fill out and return:

Organising an event - conditions of hire (547KB)

Prices from 1st April 2025 to 31st March 2026. Prices are subject to an annual increase in April, prices correct as at 1st April 2025.

Outdoor fitness classes 2025/26:
Frequency	Annual fees
1 to 2 times per week	£235.00 per annum
3 to 4 times per week	£345.00 per annum
5 to 7 times per week	£455.00 per annum

For further information please contact:

events@adur-worthing.gov.uk
or phone 01903 221070

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Advertising your event

If you wish to advertise your event you can do so on the Time for Worthing website or hire advertising space on various banner and poster sites across Adur and Worthing, and on lamppost advertising sites.