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Doncaster Balloon Festival 2025

City of Doncaster Council has received application to hold a balloon festival on Town Field on the 18th and 19th July.  This letter aims to provide information relating to the event and to offer the opportunity for you to provide your views.

Alongside this, the City of Doncaster Council is seeking external legal advice on Town Field’s Town and Village Green designation.

The event plan advises infrastructure is proposed to arrive on 15th July and removed no later than 20th July.   The event itself will be open between 16:00 and 22:00 on Friday and between 12:00 and 22:00 on Saturday.

Feedback from the event is 2024 included some concerns, raised by residents, primarily around parking, set up/de-rig duration, space and damage to the environment. 

As a result of this the organiser has made several changes to lessen the impact experienced at the event in 2024. These are outlined below:

Footprint

In 2024 the event accommodated almost all of Town Field. The proposal for 2025 reduces the overall space used for the event as displayed below on Plan A. This is achieved by reducing the overall event space, moving the fences in from the tree lines around the edges and by removing all event day car parking (except for a small area for accessible parking).

Event parking

All event parking will be off site and in designated free car parking at Sandall Beat. This will be signed clearly for visitors.

 It is proposed to restrict parking in neighbouring streets by the use of cones and ‘no event parking’ signage, allowing residents to park as normal and to retain access to properties at all times.   

 The alternative is for the Event organiser to submit a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order to suspend parking within the designated streets, however this would restrict the on-street parking provision of residents.

 The organiser will advertise all parking arrangements on their website as well as publishing the use of the Park and Ride bus service and public transport options available on the days of the event. 

Duration (including set up / de-rig)

This has been reduced by two days from the 2024 event and site build will commence on Tuesday 15^th July, with the site cleared on Sunday 20^th July.

 For the purposes of Health and Safety compliance the site must be fenced during “construction”, but this fence will only encase actual working builds, allowing gaps and access, where safe, on Tuesday 15^th and Wednesday 16^th July until 18:00.

Event space

Following discussions and as indicated above, organisers have reduced the area of the event space. This area will only be available to those with an event ticket, the remainder of Town Field will be open and fully accessible.

Environment

There have been extensive discussions with organisers about the site including the trees, parking, access and protection of Town Field. 

Restrictions have been agreed on all these issues with defined routes, tree protection exclusion zones and the use of suitably approved and robust track matting to protect the surface of the grass. These will all be conditions of permission to use the space if granted.

Access for large vehicles will be via Town Moor Avenue only – where work to complete a drop curb and verge protection is planned before the event.

Access for cars associated with the event and blue badge holders will be via Bennetthorpe where work is planned to lower the curb to allow safer access.

Access for traders in the event is also permissible via the Thorne Road entrance.

Additional information

• Free entry tickets will be given to residents – as in 2024.
• Free trade space will be given to all local charities and groups – as in 2024.
• A donation will be made to Friends of Town Field – as in 2024.
• Free Entry will be given to foster carers and children - as in 2024.

 

We invite you to complete an online survey below on the revised plans for the balloon festival and we welcome any additional comments. Submissions required by 12 noon on Tuesday 20^th May 2025.

 

Complete the survey

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