What is not an event
If you are planning a small social gathering, such as a picnic, or any other small sized activity in the park, we will not require any notification as long as the following applies:
- Less than 50 people attending, and not advertised to the general public. Some flexibility on the maximum figure may be granted.
- No cooking on site, including barbecues. These are not allowed in our parks.
- No charity collections, selling, advertising or distribution of printed material - these require permits
- No playing of music, amplified sound, or any form of regulated entertainment
- No infrastructure including tents, marquees or inflatables
- No vehicles
Street Parties
Information about holding a street party is available on our Apply to hold a street party pages and on the Streets for People website.
Protests / Demonstrations
While Oxford City Council does not officially approve or authorise protests, it strongly supports the right to free protest. In the interests of public safety we would always encourage protest organisers to follow appropriate safety guidelines.
Protests in Oxford are a matter of Thames Valley Police (TVP) and protest organisers have the obligation to notify TVP about their plans. If the proposed protest is to take place on our land, protest organisers must check with us to ensure that there is no conflict with existing event bookings.
We recommend that organisers hold adequate insurance and that their plans are risk assessed.
If the protest takes place on the public highway, Oxfordshire County Council as the Highways Authority need to be notified.
