Event Safety Advisory Group (ESAG) Terms of Reference

1. Wiltshire Council and partner agencies recognise that public events positively promote tourism, community engagement and social cohesion and civic and cultural identity.
2. An Event Safety Advisory Group (ESAG) is established to ensure that public events can take place safely and successfully without causing undue public nuisance.
3. The ESAG's main aim is to welcome and encourage public events* to the county of Wiltshire, adopting a common, pro-active approach to events staged in a public place, on a public highway or on private land open to the public.
4. The ESAG will create a consistent multi-agency approach that will positively influence the public safety outcome at public events.
5. The ESAG is a proactive process an opportunity for event organisers to work with regulators, statutory agencies and the emergency services within an agreed framework in the interests of public safety.
6. The ESAG is an advisory group and does not have a statutory function. The group has no legislative powers and does not replace, defer or remove the statutory obligations of event organisers or statutory agencies in event planning or staging.
7. Wiltshire Council is the Licensing Authority under the Licensing Act 2003. It will exercise its powers under the Act, taking into account the Council's statement of Licensing Policy, and any representations received.
8. Wiltshire Council is also an enforcing authority as defined in the Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations 1998 at premises where the main activities includes cultural, entertainment or sporting activities. It will enforce the statutory provisions to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees, members of the public and any other person affected by a work activity.
9. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are the enforcing authority for those premises where the Local Authority has no enforcement responsibility and includes those activities undertaken by the Council and at Council premises.
10. Wiltshire Council is an enforcing Authority under the Highways Act 1980 with a statutory duty of care to all road users.

*public event - these will generally be treated as being an event to which the public have access, either free or on payment of an entrance fee, where there is likely to be a potentially significant impact on an area and/or where there are more than 500 people expected to attend. Smaller events however may require the involvement of an Event Safety Advisory Group (ESAG) depending on the nature of the event. A risk based approach will be adopted in instances where an ESAG is considered for such smaller events.