Safety Advisory Group (SAG)

SAGs are made up of representatives from the Local Authority (LA), emergency services and other relevant bodies. The Boston SAG meets on a monthly basis, or urgent meetings can be arranged if necessary to review event applications and advise on public safety.

As SAG we do not have legal powers or responsibilities and are not empowered to approve or prohibit events from taking place. We provide independent advice to event organisers, who retain legal responsibility for ensuring a safe event (individual representatives of organisations forming the SAG may have powers to require event organisers to comply with their legal obligations).

As an Event organiser you may be invited to SAG, depending on the size and nature of the event. You will be required to fill in the Event Management Plan.

The SAG will advise the event organiser of the outcome of their assessment of the event application. If any relevant subject has not been considered, e.g. fire or health and safety, it will be made clear to the organiser at the same time. When SAGs consider applications where LAs have responsibilities, e.g. as an organiser / co-organiser or landowner, the SAG will endeavor to make the relevant LA department aware of any concerns so that they can act accordingly. It is the event organiser’s responsibility to take any appropriate action.

It can be difficult to strike the right balance in deciding which events should be considered by SAG. The guiding principle is that events presenting a significant public safety risk (whether in terms of numbers of people attending or the nature of the event and/or the challenge of the environment) should be considered. However, small events like village fetes, where large numbers are not expected and/or the event is routine in relation to the activity normally carried out, need not go to SAG.

You may be invited to our SAG if we have being made aware of your event. Please try and work with the SAG, some items they raise, may seem challenging but, it is better to put it right in the planning stage than be questioned if something went wrong by an enforcing body.

Boston Safety Advisory Group sits as part of the Lincolnshire Event Safety Partnership seeks to facilitate a thriving, safe and supportive environment through the local Safety Advisory Groups across Lincolnshire.

Typical examples of events that are raised at the SAG, but not exhaustive are:

• street carnivals and processions

• firework displays

• sporting events

• music festivals (for example folk festivals, rock concerts and open air entertainment)

• religious events

• trade shows

• fetes and fairs

• large scale company events

• raft races and other waterborne events

• Christmas lights switch-on

A SAG representative may visit your event, you should be informed of this before the visit and they will make themselves known at the event on arrival.

If you require further information about the SAG please contact Kristina Willoughby, Kristina.willoughby@boston.gov.uk, 01205 314587