Your Guide To Organising A Street Party Foreword

your guide to organising a street party ======================================= foreword by greg clark secretary of state for communiti

Your guide to organising a street party
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Foreword by Greg Clark
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
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Street parties are a great part of British life and an opportunity for
communities to come together to celebrate national occasions.
Thousands of street parties took place for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
in 2012, and over 7 million people got together for The Big Lunch in
June 2015.
On the 12th June 2016, the Queen will celebrate her 90th Birthday.
Communities up and down the country can be part of this national
celebration by organising a neighbourhood street party. You may want
to follow the Queen’s example of supporting charities by using your
street party to raise money or encourage volunteering for local causes
which matter to your community.
Street parties are simple to organise. This guidance sets out what you
need to think about, busts the myths about what’s needed, and includes
a simple form to let your council know about your plans.

What sort of events does this apply to?
This is about the sort of street parties that groups of residents get
together to arrange for their neighbours. The main differences between
a small street party and other public events are listed below:
STREET PARTIES OTHER PUBLIC EVENTS
For residents/neighbours only Anyone can attend
Publicity only to residents External publicity (such as in newspapers)
In a quiet residential road or street In buildings, parks etc.
Self-organised Professional/skilled organisers
Normally no insurance Insurance needed
No formal risk assessment needed Risk assessment common
No licences normally necessary unless the Licence usually needed
sale of alcohol is involved
It’s that simple
Organising a street party just for residents and neighbours is very
simple and does not need a licence. Use the form at the end of this
guide to apply to your council, which in most cases will be the
district or borough. This should provide all the information they
need. You can find your council by entering your postcode at Find your
local council.
The number one tip for holding a party is to plan early, share jobs
out amongst residents and get in touch with your council at least 4-6
weeks in advance. A good first point of contact will be your council’s
highways, events or communities team. If you encounter any
difficulties speak to your local councillor who will be happy to help.
More helpful tips, advice and support for organising a successful
event can be found on the Streets Alive website www.streetparty.org.uk
and The Big Lunch website www.thebiglunch.com, so do check them out.
Street Parties - the myths and the facts
Myth 1: It's too difficult and confusing
Streets Alive and The Big Lunch have great websites to help you plan (www.streetparty.org.uk
and www.thebiglunch.com). You can also use Gov.UK to access local
information and contact details for more advice (enter your postcode
at: Apply to hold a street party).
You should not need a risk assessment – as long as consideration is
given to the needs of all those attending, common sense precautions
should be enough.
Myth 2: You need a licence
The Licensing Act 2003 does not require a music licence at a street
party unless amplified music is one of the main purposes of the event.
However, if you plan to sell alcohol you will need to check whether
you need a Temporary Events Notice. This is a temporary permission for
licensable activities which currently costs £21 and covers events of
less than 500 people. For more information or to make an application,
please contact your local licensing authority by entering your
postcode at Temporary Events Notice.
Myth 3: The law requires complex forms for a road closure and councils
need to sign off every detail
For most small parties in quiet streets, all your council needs to
know is where and when the closure will take place so they can plan
around it (for example, so emergency services know). They will need a
few weeks' advance notice as they will need to put in place a traffic
regulation order. If councils really need more information they will
contact organisers, but they are expected to take a ‘light touch’
approach. If your council asks for excessive information, you should
challenge them.
Or you can organise a gathering or 'Street Meet' on private land, such
as a driveway or front garden, without any requirement to fill in
council forms. Residents should speak to their council about plans -
Streets Alive has some excellent guidance on how to go about it (http://www.streetparty.org.uk/residents/street-meet.aspx)
Myth 4: The law requires a fee to be charged for a road closure
The Department for Transport has scrapped guidance that led some
councils to over-complicate the process and to charge people wanting
to close their road. If your council is making a charge, you have
every right to question what those charges are for.
Myth 5: It's too late to ask for a road closure
Some councils have set deadlines to help them manage their work. But
there are no deadlines in law, so if they look unreasonable ask your
council to be flexible. If you can’t or don’t want to close your road,
you could plan a simpler Street Meet (see Myth 3 above).
Myth 6: You need to buy expensive road signs
Some local councils will lend you signs and cones, or you can hire or
buy signs, or even print your own from downloadable templates if they
are for use in daylight. Streets Alive gives advice about this (http://www.streetparty.org.uk/road-closed-signs.aspx).
Myth 7: You need expensive insurance
There is no requirement from central government to have public
liability insurance. Many councils do not insist on it so you should
challenge those who do.
But if you think insurance would be a good idea, have a look at the
advice on the Streets Alive and Big Lunch websites and shop around.
Quotes for insurance start from around £50, which can be split between
people attending, or you could hold a raffle or ask for donations to
cover the costs.
Myth 8: You need a food licence
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has confirmed that one-off events such
as street parties aren't usually considered food businesses, so there
are no forms to fill in.
However you must ensure that any food provided is safe to eat.
The FSA provides more advice about providing safe food at street
parties and other community events on its web site at:
http://www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/caterers/food-hygiene/charity-community-groups
The NHS Choices website has practical tips on how to prepare and cook
food safely at
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/homehygiene/Pages/Foodhygiene.aspx
Myth 9: You need a licence to run a raffle or lottery
You do not have to register a lottery (which includes raffles,
sweepstakes and tombolas) if you are running an “incidental
non-commercial lottery”, for which tickets must be sold and the
winners announced at the event. Anyone at the event (including
children) can take part in this sort of lottery. The expenses that can
be deducted from the proceeds must not be more than £100, and no more
than £500 can spent on prizes (not including donated prizes). More
information is available from the Gambling Commission’s website at
ttp://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/Gambling-sectors/Lotteries/About-the-lottery-industry/About-lotteries-raffles/Incidental-non-commercial-lotteries.aspx
Celebrating your community
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Application form for a street party
Road closure for residential street parties
Name of person:
 
Organisation (if applicable):
 
Contact address (including postcode):
 
Telephone number (daytime):
 
Telephone number (evening):
 
Email address:
 
Name of road(s) to be closed:
 
Date and time of road closure
 
If you plan to close only a section of the road(s), where will the
closure begin and end?
From:  
To:  
Give a brief list of properties affected. This means any property,
residential or commercial, which is located on or accessed only by the
road(s) you wish to close – e.g. Cedar Close numbers 1-20 and numbers
21-98
 
Are any of the roads to be closed used by through traffic?
YES/NO
If yes, you may need to send a traffic plan showing the extent of the
closure and an alternative route for traffic.
Are you planning on closing a road that is part of a bus route?
YES/NO
If yes, the bus company will need to be consulted.
Will access for emergency vehicles (if required) be readily available
at all times?
YES/NO
If not you will need to change your plans to accommodate them.
How will people know the road has been closed off - have you thought
about barriers/diversion signs needed?
If yes, can you say what you will be doing?
 
If no, you can speak to your council or Streets Alive who will be able
to help you with street signs (http://www.streetparty.org.uk/road-closed-signs.aspx).
Have most residents agreed to this event?
YES/NO
The council will want to ensure most people are happy with this event,
so if there are any objections you should let them know. They may be
able to help you resolve any objections. Not everyone will be able to
participate so let everyone know what time the party will start and
end (you may want to finish by 9pm to minimise noise).
If you are planning a road closure you will also need to consult
businesses in the wider area that may be affected. Have you already
consulted all premises about the road closure?
YES/NO
If yes, please attach a copy of your consultation invitation/notice
and confirm the date it was sent:
 
What happens next?
Send your completed form to your local council. To find your council
enter your postcode at Find your local council Find your local council.
In areas where there is a district or borough council and a county
council, it will normally be the district or borough council which
deals with road closures for street parties.
Once you’ve completed a form and sent it to your local council, they
will look at what you are proposing, process your application for a
road closure and let you know if there is anything else you need to
consider.