Major Incident- UK Ijtima at Shrubland Hall

It was a large and peaceful Islamic gathering centred on prayer, spiritual reflection and learning. The event has been held at other locations outside Suffolk in previous years, and this was the first time it had been held in the county.

This event was a religious gathering on private property and did not include any licensable activities. No alcohol was sold, no regulated entertainment was provided (such as live music or dancing), and no other activities took place that would require authorisation under temporary event or full licensing legislation.

It is not unusual for large events to be held at listed assets – for example, Henham Park, which hosts the Latitude Festival, is Grade II listed. There is always an expectation on organisers and owners to protect the asset.

In the case of the UK Ijtima at Shrubland Hall, Mid Suffolk District Council took planning enforcement action when it became apparent damage had been caused – more details of this are provided below.

Police were involved in pre-event discussions with organisers and other agencies and had no concerns. This was a large and peaceful gathering, and while there was local disruption, there was no disorder on site.

The increased police activity during the weekend related to the credible threat made against those attending, following intelligence received by Counter-Terrorism Police. Reassurances have since been given to the local Muslim community over their safety in light of the threats, and the local community.

Event organisers have said that they last organised this event in 2018 and have no current plans to host one again in Suffolk.

The Safety Advisory Group (SAG) supports event organisers to safely host events taking place in the district, while minimising local disruption. It is there in an advisory capacity to provide independent advice to event organisers.

Those on the Mid Suffolk SAG are:

• East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust
• Mid Suffolk District Council food and safety team
• Mid Suffolk District Council licensing team
• Mid Suffolk District Council Environmental Protection Team
• Suffolk Constabulary
• Suffolk Police Licensing Team
• Suffolk County Council Highways Team
• Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service
• Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Unit

The SAG is an advisory group – not an enforcement body – and does not possess any specific enforcement powers. Individual organisations represented within the group may exercise their own statutory powers and responsibilities within their respective areas of expertise. The SAG cannot authorise, approve, prohibit, or cancel an event.

Yes, the event organisers engaged with the SAG process and provided an event management plan. The relevant agencies subsequently worked directly with the organisers to address matters including traffic management, access and egress arrangements, medical provision, food safety, and health and safety considerations. These discussions took place both through and alongside the SAG process, as appropriate. Organisers are also encouraged to engage with the local community.

It is estimated around 15,000 people attended.

It was a private event.  There is no legal requirement for ticketing.

The event organisers provided stewards and SIA-registered security on site during the event.

Yes, there was a traffic management plan in place, agreed with Suffolk Highways. This advised routes for visitors to minimise disruption. As with any off-highway event, people might choose to take different routes to those promoted through the directional event signage. The early closure of the event due to a credible security threat also resulted in additional traffic challenges during the day on Sunday 12^th.

No, this was not required as we were not aware of any complaints relating to amplified noise to Environmental Protection during the event that required investigation.

Event organisers were given advice on noise. Environmental Protection did not carry out any monitoring because it was not expected to be a ‘loud’ event, eg. amplified music.  The event organiser said that early and late calls to prayer would not be amplified.

Prior to the event an inspection was carried out by food and safety officers, and a competent gas-safe engineer was employed by the organiser and installed set up. There is a duty on the organisers to follow gas-safe requirements and have safe systems.

There were approximately 200 toilets, and foul water tanks. We are aware of reports that, instead of using designated toilet facilities, some attendees left the site and used local woodland or gardens. This is unacceptable and has been raised with the organisers.

With any event of this size, some disruption is inevitable and all partners try to minimise it. All partners are listening to the local community and capturing feedback – including any anti-social behaviour and traffic issues. These will be passed on to relevant agencies and are being raised with organisers for both learning and any further local clean up that might be required.

Yes, we are always looking to apply learning and there will be a peer review of the SAG to ensure the best possible advice was given regarding processes and procedures.

Mid Suffolk District Council, in its capacity as planning authority, took enforcement action following unauthorised work to create an additional access to the site before the event. A Temporary Stop Notice was issued to put an immediate stop to any further work, and the owner confirmed this access point would not be used, with the fence reinstated.

Mid Suffolk District Council is aware that a Grade II-listed pillar at the entrance to the Shrubland Hall Estate has been damaged and removed. We are making further enquiries with the property owner and will be taking the appropriate action.

Since the event, the planning enforcement team has also liaised with the owners of the estate and organisers to ensure the waste collection arrangements are appropriately removed and the parkland reinstated.