Agricultural land licence: to hold a show; fair or other event

About this agreement

Use this agreement to allow a third party to use your land for an event. Whatever it is, it should take place for a short period of time, such as over three days in June, or every third Saturday in the month between March and September. The agreement allows additional time for setting out, packing up and cleaning.

Example uses would be to allow:

• a local show or an equestrian three day event
• a non-agricultural show such as a fireworks display, a temporary fairground, a fete or a circus
• a car boot sale or a farmers market
• product displays of goods - tents, caravans, tractors or other machinery in a field
• sports competitions, whether a show jumping competition or a community football match
• weddings or other private parties (somewhere to put a marquee)

The law relating to this licence

Land law that applies to agricultural tenancies, namely the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 and the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 is not applicable to licences to occupy such as this one.

The law in this document is common law, giving you greater flexibility to decide your own terms with your licensee.

Important to the licence remaining as such, and not becoming a lease (giving more rights to the tenant) is that the landlord retains access to the land at all times and remains in control of and responsible for services (such as electricity and water) and larger maintenance works.

Other permissions for the use of the land may be likely, for purposes such as serving alcohol or using it in a particular way (local councils tend to control who may and may not run certain events, even if it takes place on private land).

This document does not remove the need for the organiser to obtain all other relevant permissions from other sources to run the event.

When to use this document

This licence grants permission to occupy land for a specific purpose for a specific, limited amount of time.

If the occupation is continual and for more than a short period (say 3 months), then using an agricultural property lease such as this one might be more suitable. However, if the use is recurring but for a short period (such as a car boot sale every Sunday for four months) then this licence should be used.

This licence is suitable for a large number of different uses for the land, from shows, to car parking for an event nearby. The licensee could be an individual or a business.

Contents

• Grant of licence
• Requirements for licensee’s use of land (23 optional items)
• Use of services
• Insurance and indemnity against problems
• Access to the land
• Termination of the agreement