Park rounders game halted by council red tape

A man who tried to organise a game of rounders to encourage community spirit has been told he needs formal permission.

Phil Johnson, 58, planned a free game in Hornsea, East Yorkshire, only for the town council to say the match had to be treated as a public event because he promoted it on social media.

"People expect to be able to come to the local park and have a game. I suppose I made the mistake of posting publicly, inviting people," Johnson said.

Hornsea Town Council said organisers of public events needed to provide details of event management, health and safety arrangements, risk assessments and public liability insurance.

Johnson said he came up with the idea of a match in Hall Garth Park after thinking about ways to bring the community together.

He designed a poster to invite residents, not expecting much interest. However, about 60 people responded to his invitation on Facebook.

"It took me by surprise," he said. "The response has been phenomenal."

The town council then contacted him to explain that, once the game was advertised on social media, it had to be treated as a public event.

"I appreciate that if a lot of people turned up it could have been a problem, but it was intended as a friendly get‑together," Johnson said.

"People play football in the park, kids play games in the park. Is the council going to turn up and say you've got to get the applications in?"

Rick Willis, 60, is new to the area and was hoping to take part to meet people.

He said he was looking forward to "getting into the big community spirit" and described the council's intervention as "bureaucratic nonsense".

The council said there was "no issue" with individuals, families or small groups meeting in the park to play informal games.

"If people had arranged a game privately, for example through a WhatsApp group, and simply turned up, this would not have presented a problem," the spokesperson said.

However, "when an event is open to the public, the organisers are required to obtain the appropriate permissions".

This was to ensure it was staged "safely and successfully for everyone involved".

Johnson has put the game on hold while he waits to hear whether it can be moved to the Hollis Recreational Ground.

He called on the council to make the rules clearer and easier to understand.

"If necessary, I'm happy to cover the cost for the community," he added.

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