A Bill to extend the powers of the Local Government Ombudsman to provide redress against local authorities which unreasonably ban events on the grounds of health and safety.
The Bill would provide that, if a local authority banned or imposed restrictions on an event on the grounds of health and safety, it would be obliged to notify the event organiser on the day the decision was taken, including the details of the ban and the reasons for it.The event organiser would then be entitled to ask for a review of the decision; the local authority would be required to conduct the review within two weeks of the request. The Bill would also amend the Local Government Act 1974 to give event organisers the right to seek an investigation by a Local Commissioner into whether a ban or restriction on the grounds of health and safety was reasonable. If the ban or restriction was found by the Local Commissioner to be unreasonable, a further amendment to the Act would require the local authority to implement any recommendations made in the Commissioner's report within three months, and would give the Local Commissioner the right of redress against the local authority in such cases.
This bill would give the Local Government Ombudsman more power to challenge local authorities that ban or restrict events for health and safety reasons. If a council bans an event, it must tell the organiser on the day and explain why; the organiser can request a quick review, to be completed within two weeks. It also allows an event organiser to ask a Local Commissioner to decide whether the ban was reasonable; if the Commissioner finds it unreasonable, the council must follow the Commissioner's recommendations within three months, and the Commissioner can pursue redress against the council.
The bill is in the Commons at the report stage, having originated in the House of Commons.
Generated 21 February 2026
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