Street parties

There will be year-long Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022 as communities come together to celebrate the Queen’s historic 70 year reign. There will also be a special four day Bank Holiday weekend to celebrate from Thursday 2 June to Sunday 5 June. To coincide with the nationalBig Jubilee Lunch, we are encouraging residents who want to organise a jubilee street party to hold it on Sunday 5 June.

Street parties are a great way to celebrate, get to know neighbours and meet members of our community. If you're planning a party in your street, here's some information you might need.

This information is about street parties that groups of residents arrange for their neighbours, rather than other public events (see the main differences at the bottom of the page). 

Make a plan

When hosting a street party its important to plan early - let us know at least 10 weeks in advance by filling in a PESAG form. This enables us to record all the street parties that are taking place and includes specific questions about potential road closures. The form is available to print or to complete online. The information you give us does not need to be too detailed, just give an overview of your plans for the the day. 

• Event notification form to print (F1) [word document]
• Online notification form [online form, opens in new window]
  
  

Selling alcohol and playing music 

If there are less than 500 people attending your street party and you want to sell alcohol you will need to get a temporary event notice, at least ten working days before your event. If the party is for more that 500 people and you want to sell alcohol, you will need to apply for a full premise licence and should allow two months for the application to be processed. If less than 500 people are attending you do not need an entertainment licence for recorded/live music or dancing between 8am and 11pm.

For more information or advice about licenses please contact the licensing team on 01325 405888.

Road closures

For most small parties in quiet streets, all we need to know is where and when the closure will take place so we can plan around it (for example, so emergency services know). Your event plan should include details of any proposed road closures. Don’t forget you can organise your party in another space such as a garden, local park or driveway without filling in any council forms. You can call us on 01325 405888 for advice.

We need at least 10 weeks notice of a road closure so, if necessary, we can put a traffic regulation order in place.  If we need more information, we will contact you. If your street party or small event require a road closure as defined in Section A2 of the PESAG guidance, you can apply for a grant to help with the costs of employing an approved traffic management company who will handle the road closure for you. As the highways authority, we have a statutory duty to ensure that the highway is safe and that people putting out signs etc are appropriately trained. This is why you need an approved traffic management company for a road closure. The grants, up to a maximum of £350 per event, are given out on a first come, first served basis. There is a link to the grant application form below.

Traffic management grant application form [pdf document]

We ask that you contact all residents affected by the road closure to ensure they are aware of the dates and times and can plan accordingly.

Insurance

You do not usually need to have public liability insurance for a street party. If, when we have seen your plans, we think insurance would be a good idea we will let you know. Insurance can start at as little as £50 and the costs can always be split between residents, or you could hold a raffle or ask for donations to cover the costs.

Food 

Providing food for an event does not require registration. Official food businesses do need to register with us (free of charge). If a mobile food trader is attending such as an ice cream van, the business should already be registered and have a valid street trading consent. If you or your neighbours are preparing food at your street party it is worth reading our guide to food hygiene for catering volunteers. We have also collated advice if you are hosting a community barbecue or have a barbecue at your event. 

Covid-19

Please be aware of the latest Coronavirus restrictions and advice. For the latest information and how the rules may affect your event see the Government website [external link].

Emergency access

You must make sure that emergency service vehicles are able to drive down the street at all times.