Notting Hill Carnival Strategic Review - Intelligent Space

Practice was introduced in 1993, setting out the minimum standards of safety for the Carnival in
a number of operational areas. Lead agencies are identified for each operational area and both
the Statement and the Code are reviewed annually and signed by a representative of each
organisation in order to signify their agreement with its terms. The following table provides a
summary of the ‘lead agency’ status accorded by the Statement and Code.
Table 2: Statement of Intent and Code of Practice – Summary of Responsibilities and Designation of Lead Agency Status
Operational Areas
NHCT/
LNHCL
WCC RBKC MPS BTP SJA LAS LUL LFB
Carnival route
Children’s Day route (Sunday)
Access point to the route
Carnival bands (floats)
Sound systems
Closing down dime
Public safety managers
Safety zones
Pedestrian zones
Street Trading
Sale of intoxicating liquor
Road signs
Panorama
1.45 The Statement contains a proviso that whilst the document itself purports to set out the overall
intentions of the parties, it is not “intended [to] create a legally binding contract between
them”. Further, a number of operational areas, such as close down times, bands (floats), and
sound systems appear to require the compliance of members of the various Carnival arenas,
although they are not signatories.
1.46 In addition to the Statement and the Code, the multi-agency planning characteristics of the
event has been recognised through the formation of a Carnival Safety Liaison Group (CSLG).
Membership of the group is made up of officers representing the Carnival organiser and all the
statutory agencies who have some involvement with the Carnival. The group served as a forum
for the exchange of information about operational, public safety and contingency planning
arrangements. In 2002, the CSLP was replaced by the Operational Planning and Safety Group
(OPSG) 38 . Whilst the former had been convened and chaired by NHCT, the latter is now
convened and chaired by WCC. The central underlying concerns posed by the current
management and planning arrangements for the Carnival are those of accountability and
responsibility. As part of this review therefore, an analysis of the current legislative framework
was undertaken, together with an examination of the various roles played by each stakeholder.
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The following organisations are members of the OPSG (and were also members of the Carnival Safety Liaison Group): Royal Borough of
Kensington and Chelsea; City of Westminster; Metropolitan Police Service; British Transport Police; Transport for London; London
Underground Ltd; London Buses Ltd; St. John Ambulance; London Ambulance Service; London Fire Emergency and Planning Authority;
Notting Hill Carnival Trust/ London Notting Hill Carnival Ltd. The Greater London Authority became a member of the Safety Group (and
its successor, the OPSG) as a consequence of this strategic review.
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