Totnes Late Night Christmas Shopping - Stewards briefing document

Objective

Totnes Late Night Christmas Shopping evenings are major events incorporating trade stands and public entertainment. They take place between 18:00 and 22:00 on Tuesday 7th, 14th and 21st December and are expected to draw large crowds of up to several thousand on each of the three evenings.

The objectives are:-

1. To minimise the risk to the health and safety of

• Members of the public
• Participants
• Organising Staff
• Emergency Services Staff

1. Ensure a safe and incident free environment for shoppers and visitors
2. Reduce risk by utilising crowd control measures and allow access for emergency vehicles

Event Organiser

Totnes Town Council

Town Clerk: Mr David EDWARDS

The Guildhall Office

5 Ramparts Walk

Totnes

Stewards Role

The role is to provide a high-visibility presence for

• public reassurance and
• marshalling duties.

There will be two control points established at the bottom of Fore Street opposite the Royal Seven Stars Hotel and a secondary point at St Mary’s Church.

The Fore Street control point will be designated at the contact point when dealing with reports of lost persons/children.

Stewards will operate in teams of two with at least one mobile phone between them . They will be placed at:

• Road closure points
• Junction of Fore Street and Station Road
• Junction of Fore Street and South Street
• in the Market Square
• at the junction of High Street and Castle Street
• In the Narrows
• at the junction of Cistern Street and the Lamb

The specific problems anticipated at these points will be to re-direct traffic around the road closures.

The plan is to have two Stewards standing by to act as relief team.

A briefing will be given at the main assembly point at 18:00. For those who can not meet at the Clubhouse at 17:30 they are requested to make their way directly to the Main assembly point opposite the Royal Seven Stars to receive their briefing.

A more detailed document detailing contact numbers and road closures will be provided to each steward for use as reference.

Stewards Information

A control point for stewards and Born Hectic staff will be in a gazebo at the bottom of Fore Street opposite the Royal Seven Stars Hotel. All stewards should report to this control point on arrival.

This is also the point for coordinating any actions throughout the evening. Stewards will work in groups of 2 or 3.

A list of contact numbers will be provided.

A plan of the town showing stalls and entertainments sites will be displayed.

Road Closures

The Plains, Fore Street and High Street will be closed to traffic from 1.00pm to 10.00pm. Stall holders will be admitted from the bottom of Fore Street and directed to their pitch by Born Hectic staff. They will then park in Watsons site on the industrial estate. Stall holders will not be allowed to bring cars in to pack up at the end of the evening until organisers and the police agree that pedestrian numbers have dropped to the point when it is safe for the street to be reopened.

The Town Bridge will be one way only. Traffic will be allowed from the town over the bridge towards Bridgetown.

Road closure signs will be in place at the bottom of Fore Street, both ends of the Plains, on the Bridgetown side of the Town Bridge, at the top of Cistern Street outside the Bay Horse Inn. Each of these will need to be stewarded.

• Fore Street. Once the last of the traders has arrived (by around 5pm) no vehicles are permitted to enter Fore Street except emergency vehicles.

• The Plains. Once the traders have arrived and the stage has been erected no vehicles will be permitted along the Plains.Should there be a fire, firemen in their private cars will need to use the Plains to reach the fire station. In this event Stewards will need to clear pedestrians from the riverside half of the Plains. Everyone should be moved onto the pavement in the Dartmouth Square and along the town side of the road.

• Cistern Street/The Rotherfold. This road will be closed to all vehicles except the park and ride being operated by Bob the Bus. This vehicle will bring passengers from Follaton House and drop them outside the fish and chip shop in The Rotherfold and return along Plymouth Road to Follaton House. Stewards should assist this vehicle by moving the road closed sign if necessary and ensuring the safety of pedestrians as it proceeds through the Rotherfold area.

• Castle Street. Road closed sign will be in place at the junction of Castle Street and North street.

• Collins Road. Road ahead closed sign will be in place near the top of Collins Road.

• South Street. Road closed and Road Ahead closed signs will be placed at the top of Blue Ball Hill, at the rear of the Civic Hall, near the path to the Heaths nursery car park and at the top of South Street. Stewards patrolling this area should check from time to time that these signs are still in place.

• Ticklemore Street. This road will be closed as there is no exit into The Plains.

Parking

All the town car parks will be open as usual except the rear of the Civic Hall. Normal charges apply. Overflow parking is available at the

• Elmhirst site at KEVICs on Tue 7^th
• and at both Redworth and Elmhirst on Tue 21^st.

Cones will be placed in St Katherine’s Way to reinforce the double yellow lines as people ignoring these cause obstructions for emergency vehicles.

• Park and Ride will operate from Follaton House from 5.30 pm each evening. The bus will stop in The Rotherfold and at the bus stop in Coronation road to drop passengers. Pick ups at the end of the evening will be from the bus stop in Coronation Road. There are no specific times. The bus will run a continuous shuttle. The driver will advise passengers about the time of the last return bus.

Overcrowding

The layout of stalls and entertainers has been modified from last year to try and prevent overcrowding. The problem areas tend to be around the Eastgate Arch, around the entrance to St Mary’s Church and in The Narrows between the Barrel House and Castle Court.

If these areas start to become overcrowded advise people of alternatives routes for example around South Street.

Fly pitching and busking are not permitted but these are the areas of particular concern . Anyone found busking or ‘fly-pitching’ should be advised that this is not permitted for reasons of health and safety. If they refuse to move seek back up initially from David Edwards or secondly from the police.

In an emergency

Should an emergency vehicle need to access Fore Street/High Street or the Plains stewards will be responsible for helping move people as quickly and safely as possible. People should be moved into the shops or the side streets , or into the front of the church.

Should access be needed to the upper part of town emergency vehicles might use Castle Street, Priory Avenue or South Street as an easier route.

Entertainment

Entertainments will be focussed on the stage in The Plains, by Dartmouth Square, in the Civic Square and outside the Seven Stars. A copy of the programme is attached. Each site will be coordinated by a stage manager.

Communication

Stewards will communicate by mobile phone. The first point of contact will be David Edwards or Ruth Robinson. They will be in direct contact with the police and other services and will alert stewards should their presence be needed at a certain point.

To be completed prior to deployment

Team	Name	Mobile	Name	Mobile

First Aid

First aiders will be situated by the control point outside the Royal Seven Stars. Mediwest UK will be providing the First Aid cover within the areas of road closures form 18:00 - 22:00 on each of the designated nights. South Western Ambulance Service will be in attendance activated from their station responding to 999/112 calls.