• If you are organising a street party you should read this information and completed the application form.
• Additional Guidance is available at Gov.UK website

It’s also a good idea to appoint a coordinator from your group. This person can liaise with us for permission or advice. It will also provide us with a single point of contact and help speed the process up if permissions are needed.

Make sure all residents affected by your event are made aware of the arrangements. For example, closing your street off will impact on access to properties.

Making people aware of the details they can make alternative arrangements where necessary and are less likely to complain.

You are not required to hold public liability insurance cover for a small residential street party. If you think that insurance would be a good idea you might find it helpful to visit Streets Alive and The Big Lunch website for further advice.

Quotes for insurance can start from as little as £50. The cost can always be split between residents, or you could hold a raffle or ask for donations to cover the cost.

You do not have to do risk assessments for your street party, but you may wish to think about how you can minimise things going wrong. For example, what would you do if there was bad weather? Can you use plastic plates and cups rather than glass? Have you made sure an adult is in charge of the barbeque? Thinking about these things in advance could save a lot of trouble on the day.

No, just remember to follow these basic rules;

• Keep food covered and where necessary refrigerated as close to service as possible
• Wash your hands before handling food
• Keep food surfaces clean
• Cover any cuts or scratches with a plaster
• Make sure food is cooked thoroughly

Probably not. If the tombola/raffle tickets are sold on the day and the prizes are not worth more than £500 in total then it will be exempt from gambling regulations.

However, if tickets are sold in advance of the event, you will need a lottery registration, but do speak to us first. Any proceeds from the tombola/raffle must go to a good cause such as charity or even to cover the cost of your party. Alternatively, if you did want to raise some money for a specific charity, you can always ask people for donations.

The first question to consider is do I need to close my street as many street parties can and have been held in the front gardens of each other of houses

If a road closure is required for street a street party then this is for the council to agree and approve. Some streets are easier to close than others, think about other residents, emergency services access and how your closure will impact on other streets around you. Please complete the form below and send to the council within 12 weeks of any street party

A cul-de-sac is the easiest of areas to close off:

• Advise all residents in the cul-de-sac of the event
• Advise the council of the closure and obtain permission
• Close the entrance to the road with a clear sign across the whole width of the road. Road cones are ideal for this purpose. See drawing within the application form as these can often be purchased/hired or borrowed from local contractors

Closing other streets off is more complex. All roads can be closed, however traffic has to go somewhere and complex diverts are occasionally used which can be costly. Make sure you contact the council for advice and permission.

Road closures will note normally be approved before 12 noon

Before you apply for a road closure, consider if your road is:

• a through road
• a bus route
• an A road
• a feeder road to an estate
• close to a hospital, police station, ambulance service or fire station where access is required at all times

Also consider if there is there a piece of land off the highway that would be more appropriate for your party.

Whilst we will try to approve all road closures for street parties, this may, on a small number of occasions be impractical. To ensure the safety of all road users the council may require a formal traffic management system to be put in place and this may incur a cost to you.

We don’t want to spoil anyone’s fun, but we have to make sure people are not stopped from having a good nights sleep!

To be on the safe side:

• Let all your neighbours, including those on surrounding streets, know about your event, what time it will finish and what you have planned
• Be specific about when any music will end, and ensure it ends on time. The latest time for amplified music outdoors is 11pm and normally would not be any later than 10pm
• Include a name and telephone number of an individual that residents can contact if they are being disturbed by the party
• Take immediate action if noise levels are causing a disturbance
• Peoples’ tolerance of all forms of noise tends to lessen the later an event runs, so make sure the music and other entertainment is reduced in the evening as children and other residents may be trying to sleep
• Invite everyone on your street - if they are at the party, they won’t be complaining about being disturbed
• If you do get a complaint, be understanding and helpful, and try to resolve the problem informally.

If we receive complaints about excessive noise or safety concerns about your street party this could impact on any future requests for street parties you may want to have.

Yes, you will need to clean up after your street party. It’s your street, your party, so keep your local area clean and tidy.

Let people know in advance what time the party will finish and have a section set aside for bin bags and recycling. The council reserves the right to charge the event organiser for cleaning the area if this is not done properly.

Some other things to consider:

• How will the council empty your bin if your party is to take place on a week day?
• How would an emergency vehicle access your street in a real emergency?
• How/where will cars be parked during the party to provide space for the event?
• Chairs, tables and gazebos - consider their location and how these impact on emergency access within your street.
• Bunting - take care when putting this up
• Do not have bonfires or fireworks, these are not permitted on the street.
• Barbeques are fine, but consider fire safety if you are using a gazebo.
• It’s good to have a first aid kit handy.
• How/where will cars be parked during the party to provide space for the event?