Public processions, parades and demonstrations
Details of licensing requirements for public processions.
Before you start
If you intend on organising a public procession in East Renfrewshire you can pick up a notification form from any East Renfrewshire police office or our headquarters:
Eastwood Park
Rouken Glen Road
Giffnock
G46 6UG
You can also phone 0141 577 3006 / 3005 to request an application form by post.
You must give at least 28 days' notice of your intention to hold a parade or march. This is to allow time for any necessary discussions to take place.
Should you be unable to give 28 days' notice, you'll need to apply for and be granted an exemption. This will only be granted in exceptional circumstances. Should an exemption not be granted you won't be permitted to march.
Risk assessments
Depending on the nature of the event, we may carry out an assessment of the risk of holding the procession against the considerations set out in section 63 (8) of the 1982 Act. This will lead to a better informed decision because we'll have:
- identified the known dangers and risks associated with holding the procession
- a better knowledge on what precautions could be taken to reduce or get rid of risks
- a better idea of what preventative measures they may need to take now and for future processions
We'll pass our written assessment to you for comment and we may want to compare our findings with any risk assessment you've carried out, if we've asked you to complete one.
How to apply
What happens next?
Your application will be processed.
If you don't hear from us within a reasonable period phone 0141 577 4684.
If your application is refused
If your licence is refused you can appeal to the Sheriff by writing to Paisley Sheriff Court.
The appeal must be made within 14 days of the refusal.
Cancellations
If you have to cancel your procession or demonstration, it's your responsibility, as organiser, to advise us and the appropriate local police office as soon as possible.
Where practical, you should confirm the cancellation in writing to us within 48 hours.
