Make It York has a robust procedure when considering all of our events, and all factors are considered and analysed in our decision-making process. These include, but not limited to; logistical and operational planning, licensing, infrastructure and health and safety, evaluation and delivery confidence. In the case of the Yorkshire Balloon Fiesta, these are all areas which did not meet criteria within the application presented by the event organisers. The submission lacked fully auditable plans for site operations, including insufficient detail on set-up and takedown scheduling, traffic management, and counter terrorism strategies. The proposal did not provide adequate assurance or documentation related to event licensing, infrastructure needs (particularly in light of the site’s intricacies), nor a comprehensive health and safety framework inclusive of crowd management and emergency protocols.
Given the size and nature of the Yorkshire Balloon Fiesta event, it is essential that all supporting documentation is provided to ensure this can be assessed fully. There had been significant concerns following the previous event regarding health and safety particularly in relation to noise levels and other incidents. Make It York will not at any time compromise the health and safety of residents and visitors.
Sarah Loftus, Managing Director of Make It York, said: “Make It York hold the premise licence for the Knavesmire, and we have to be confident that all the requirements are met. The Yorkshire Balloon Fiesta’s application did not satisfy these elements. We know that the lack of information would not meet the Safety Advisory Group (SAG) requirements, and the expression of interest to run the event was the organiser’s opportunity to demonstrate how they would operate as per our licence conditions, so we were unable to progress to the next stage.”
RELEASE DATE: 3 April 2025
Contact: comms@makeityork.com
About Make It York
Make It York’s purpose is to develop and promote the city and its surroundings – nationally and internationally – as a vibrant and attractive place to live, visit, study, work and do business. Its mission is to grow the economic prosperity and wider wellbeing of York and its citizens. In practice, this means delivering a range of projects and programmes based around our corporate strategic priorities. These are: City positioning and profile-raising; Ensuring an exciting city centre; Delivering the city’s ground-breaking Cultural Strategy.
