Care of ground in Cardiff Parks

Bute Park is a Grade 1 listed historic landscape and nationally significant arboretum, please help us protect it. We have provided the following guidance to help you do this.

Cardiff Council withholds the right to fine Event Organisers for any damage caused to the ground as a result of their event. These fines can be significant and are non-negotiable, please avoid them by following this guidance.

Depending on weather, ground conditions as well as the infrastructure, traffic volumes and scale or your set up, your event will present a certain level of risk to the land on which it is held.

Cardiff Council will charge Event Organisers for the cost of repairing damage to the ‘fabric’ of the park, e.g. turfing or re-seeding grassed areas, de-compacting soil, re-grading tyre ruts etc. The costs will be taken from the event bond.

However, due to weather conditions or time of year, the reinstatement work may not be able to be carried out straight away and the impact of your event may leave an unsightly legacy for several weeks or months. This is not appreciated by regular park users or parks staff so when it comes to damage, prevention is much better than cure.

1. A major cause of damage by events is vehicle tyres driving over soft ground and causing unsightly rutting. For this reason we ask that vehicles must stay on hard surfaces wherever possible.  Forks and other site vehicles should be fitted with grass tyres.

• Where vehicles must drive off roads/ pathways ground protection may be required. Make sure your budget allows for ground protection where required to prevent damage. Bute Park holds a stock of track mats that can be hired at competitive prices by Event Organisers using Bute Park venues Cardiff Castle or Sophia Gardens. See Parks Event Manual for details or discuss with the Parks Event Manager.

• Drivers can be difficult to control in event situations and sometimes stray off pathways with good intention – e.g. to give way to a pedestrian, to achieve an event deadline etc. However, Event Organisers are expected to take proactive steps to manage their event traffic and the behaviour of drivers so as not to damage the park. This will be achieved through use of stewards, good planning and scheduling, good driver and staff briefings and, where necessary, physical protection e.g. fencing, barriers or tapes positioned along vulnerable edges.

• Refer to venue site guidance for local requirements at your venue and use the knowledge and experience of the Site Supervisor and Council Event staff to successfully plan for the prevention of damage.

• Failure to take reasonable steps to prevent damage from occurring can cause you and the Council reputational damage and may prevent you holding events in Cardiff parks in the future.

See Care of Trees in Cardiff Parks
See Emergency Plans
See Ground Protection
See Track Mats
See Weather