Requests for Use of Council Land

Council owns a large portfolio of land, including parks, open spaces, beaches and car parks. If you wish to use Council land for any use or for an event you must submit a fully completed application form and supporting documentation to the Land & Property section for consideration and approval.

The Land and Property section receives a large number of requests for use of Council land and is required to go through a rigorous approval process.  In order for your application to be dealt with your fully completed application should be submitted  12 weeks before the proposed event/use.

To hold a large scale event e.g. a concert, your application should be submitted at least 6 months in advance.

All applicants must submit their request form and supporting documentation a minimum of 12 weeks before the event otherwise it cannot be considered.  The supporting documentation required is:

• Evidence of Public Liability Insurance - £10m Indemnity
• Site Specific Risk Assessment
• Event Plan for larger events
• Location map/aerial view of the proposed area for use or for your event

Site specific risk assessments must comply with the following:

a) Update on The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020

b) The requirement of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000

c) Takes all reasonable measures to limit the risk of transmission of the coronavirus, including implementing the preventative and protective measures identified in the risk assessment and comply with any relevant guidance issued by a Northern Ireland Government Department

The organiser must also include contingency arrangements should cancellation at short notice be required.

Council has produced a very useful document to assist with planning your event which is available to download:

“Event Management – A Guide for the Planning and Organisation of Community Festivals and Other Events”

The use of Council owned land for external events will be kept under review.

Fees

Please note that for commercial or large scale events a fee may be charged for the use of Council land.  The fee will be determined by an independent valuation in accordance with the Land & Property Policy, the cost of the valuation must also be met by the applicant.

A fee may also be charged for filming on Council land in accordance with the Land and Property Policy

Organisers must comply with the current government Coronavirus (COVID-19) regulations guidance in place at the time of their event.

The use of Council owned land for external events will be kept under review.

Third Party Requests to Purchase Council Land

Requests from third parties to purchase parcels of council land can take a considerable amount of time to process with the current timescale being a minimum of 6 months for consideration.

All applicants wishing to purchase Council land must agree in writing to:

Pay for an independent valuation of the land
Pay the purchase price of the land determined by the valuation
Pay Council’s legal fees and any outlay incurred by Council in relation to the purchase of the land.

Requests to Confirm Ownership of Council Land

The Land and Property section cannot currently respond to any requests from member of the public to confirm ownership of Council land.

All enquiries regarding land ownership should be directed to the Land Registry/Registry of Deeds:

Land Registry is a record of land, houses and properties registered in Northern Ireland.  Land & Property Services (LPS) is responsible for the registry. To check if land is registered, you can search the registry in LPS customer information centres.

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/searching-the-land-registry

The Registry of Deeds can be used to establish ownership of unregistered property

https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/searching-the-registry-of-deeds

There is a fee charged to search and copy documents – details of applicable fees are on the Land Registry/Registry of Deeds website

How to apply to use Council land

To request permission to use council property or land for an event, complete the form below and return to the Land and Property Section.

Apply to use Council Land Downloadable Form

Or use the online form below.