Events Land Use Checklist

As George’s attraction for business, investment and new residents increases, so does the interest in staging local, national, and international events. Any event organiser will be aware that there are several authorisations which may be required in order to host an event. These authorisations include a population certificate for safety purposes, traffic and road closures, closure of public space and permission to erect marquees.

One of the most important permissions an event organiser must ensure that they have in hand is the land use rights to use the property for an event. The zoning scheme sets out the zoning rights for every property. To assist event organisers in determining if they need to make an application, the Town Planning Department has drafted an Events Land Use Checklist document.

There are only two scenarios where an event can be allowed without the need for a land use application. The 1st scenario is when the property has a primary right in terms of the zoning scheme. This means that the existing land rights allow events to be held on the property. If you are not sure of the zoning, you may contact the Town Planning office at 044 801 9477 for assistance.

The 2nd scenario is where the event is a once-off in the calendar year. This is called an ‘occasional use’ right. This means that the Municipality may permit one (1) occasional use activity for an event that involves the gathering of people on a property in any use zone, excluding a residential zone, per calendar year for which no land use approval from the Municipality is required. This is as long as the event is compliant with the conditions set out in the Events Land Use Checklist. Please note that a permission letter is still required from the Municipality for scenario 2 but it is a much shorter process than a full land use application.

If the event is not a primary right or does not comply with conditions to be classified as occasional use, then a land use application must be submitted to Town Planning for consideration and approval before the event may be held, from a land use perspective.

The Events Land Use Checklist can be downloaded on the following link:
https://www.george.gov.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/GM-Events_Land-Use-Checklist-2023.pdf

General event support information can be obtained from the following link:
https://www.george.gov.za/planning-development/local-economic-development/tourism/event-support/

It is the property owner’s responsibility to ensure that the zoning permission is in place to hold an event on the property.