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Organising an activity or event

Apply for permission

You may need to apply for permission before organising activities or events on the land we manage. This includes:

When vehicles need to be taken on to our land
Activities where people will be charged to take part
Training and bush-craft courses and events
Setting up stalls or tents
Erecting signs, benches, creating paths or trails
Cutting back vegetation or undertaking agreed woodland management work
Some education and forest school type activities
Filming
Flying drones
Some conservation, heritage and archaeological surveys

This is not an exhaustive list - anything that might result in forest byelaws being broken will need a formal permit or agreement.

Complete an application form to carry out an event or activity on our land.

What to do before applying

Each application is considered on a case by case basis so it’s essential that you contact us about your event or activity before you start planning.

Sometimes the land we manage is closed for tree felling, public safety, fire prevention or conservation. We will be able to tell you about any restrictions currently in place, offer guidance, and make sure you have the correct application forms.

You will also need to consider:

Exactly what you plan to do
Where and when the event will take place and how long it will last
How many people will be involved
Whether you’ll need vehicle access
Whether you’ll need access pre and post event for setting up and take down
What supporting facilities you’ll need – e.g. toilets, marshals, catering etc.
How you’ll ensure safety and provide insurance cover.

You will be responsible for gaining consent (if required) from for example the local police or highways authority.

Insurance

You will need Public Liability Insurance cover of £5m for any activity, event or project that you undertake.

Risk assessments

You will need to provide a risk assessment with your application. Use our interactive map to see if there are any risks that you need to consider before organising your event or activity eg. power lines, mineshafts, pipelines and quarries.

Charges

We have standard charges for different types activities on our land.

The NRW Permissions Charging Framework is undergoing an update and will be going live in summer 2022.

There is a standard £50 + VAT Administration Fee for each application.

How proposals are assessed

It will normally take 12 weeks to assess an application.

Each application circulated to team in the local area to make sure the activity, event or project can be carried out safely without affecting others who are using or working on our land.

Publicising your event or activity

You will need to ensure people know about the activity or event you’re proposing and have the opportunity to take part if possible.

If you publicise your event before you have a signed permit, this will be at your own risk should the application not be successful.

If you need to undertake publicity well before your event is due to start or take place, you must submit your proposal well in advance to account for the 12 week assessment period.

Advice and support

Organising and managing an event can be complex and you may need some advice and guidance along the way.

Advice and guidance on the permissions process
Assistance with maps
Woodland and land management best practice
Woodlands for Wales guidance
Information about our land and Forest Resource Plans
Knowledge of other local groups and potential partners
Explanation of basic risk assessment processes
Advice on felling and planting licenses

If however you need advice on how to set up your group, where potential sources of funding might be, how to reach and involve all members of your community, planning guidance etc., you’ll need to talk to people with specific expertise in these areas.

There are many expert third and public sector organisations out there to offer assistance – and other groups who can share their practical experiences of undertaking similar work.

Advice and guidance on organising a safe event is available from the Health and Safety Executive. Umbrella activity support bodies, such as the British Horse Society, the British Driving Society or British Orienteering for example, may be able to offer specific advice.

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