More community festivals, outdoor cinema and pop-up theatre could be held in parks across Richmond borough, under new council plans.

Richmond Council has published a draft events policy for its parks, open spaces and commons, which is set to be adopted later this year after consultation.

The council said the updated policy would encourage more outdoor cinema, pop-up theatre, neighbourhood festivals and community events.

It added the document aimed to support a "vibrant programme of events while protecting the borough's much-loved green spaces".

Barnes Green is one of Richmond's many green spaces. (Credit: Charlotte Lillywhite/LDRS)

Richmond has more green spaces than any other London borough, with 128 parks and areas of open space. The policy covers parks the council owns, which do not include Kew Gardens or the Royal Parks Richmond Park and Bushy Park.

The policy puts forward measures to better protect the borough's parks, including limits on the size, frequency and operating hours of events.

Small events are defined as having up to 499 attendees, while medium events have between 500 and 4,999 visitors, large events have 5,000 to 9,999 participants and major events have more than 10,000 guests.

Large or major events could not take place at the same site on consecutive weekends under the policy, unless in exceptional circumstances. No more than four major events and six large events could be held in the same place in any six-month period. All events would have to end by 10pm, unless they were licensed to run for longer.

Organisers would need to commit to reducing waste, protecting air quality and encouraging public transport. For commercial events, they would need to contribute to the community by providing, for example, employment opportunities or support for local projects.

They would also need to provide free or cheaper tickets to eligible residents at ticketed events.

The council is running an online consultation to gather feedback on the draft policy until 5 October. The authority will use the feedback to finalise the policy, before councillors vote on whether to adopt it later this year.

Lib Dem councillor Julia Neden-Watts, Chair of the Environment Committee, said: "Our aim is to promote opportunities for people to come together at events in our parks and open spaces, making the most of Richmond's culture and sense of community, while protecting the landscapes we all treasure.

"Everyone is encouraged to take part in the consultation, to help shape how these events are delivered."