Street party
If you are planning a Street Party this form must be submitted six weeks in advance of the event.
Gosport Borough Council has introduced a simplified road closure procedure for Street Parties that celebrate significant national events.
The form contains further advice and conditions.
Street Party Guidance
Street Party - a 'street' party is a fun event designed to bring together the residents of a particular road or local community. A street party is not advertised to the wider public and no commercial activities take place.
I want to organise a party - what do I do?
- The first thing to do is to talk to your neighbours and find out whether there is sufficient support for the event to go ahead.
- Then find a suitable venue. It may be possible to hold the party in the street, subject to a road closure order (see below), but not all roads will be suitable. It may be easier to organise an event on a local playing field, open space or adjacent to a building such as a community hall, so that you can move the event indoors if the weather is bad. You will need to ask the owners for permission.
- Once you know your neighbours are happy and you have a suitable venue, you will need to set a date and consider if it is necessary to contact the Council.
When do I need to tell the Council?
1. If your party has an impact on traffic
If you are planning on having your party in a public street you should first contact the Council to confirm that the street is suitable. (Contact Andrew Broster, Senior Development Management Officer (Transport) , Tel. 02392 545585, Email: andrew.broster@gosport.gov.uk ).
The Council will only make an Order to close the street where :-
- The street is a lightly trafficked minor residential road, and not normally used by through traffic
- No access will be required to adjacent shops, businesses and services during the event
- There is a suitable alternative route for vehicles to use without the need for traffic diversions
- The closure will not create traffic issues elsewhere, and
- It will not inconvenience other people
A cul de sac or short crescent is likely to be ideal for street parties. In this type of road you will not have to consult people beyond your own street, and you won't need a traffic management plan or traffic diversions.
Once the Council has confirmed that your street is suitable you will need to do the following :-
- Inform everyone within the street of your plans in writing and confirm there is substantial support for the party. Some residents may be unwilling or unable to join in the party. Some may have an essential need for vehicle access whilst it is underway, and you must be able to accommodate them.
- Write to, or e-mail, the Police, Ambulance and Fire Service to ensure they are happy with your party plans. You will need to ensure that emergency access can be provided as they require. (Contact details are provided with the Application Form)
Once you have completed the above and you are sure that closing the road will have little adverse impact, complete and submit the Application Form to the Council with copies of your correspondence to the residents and the emergency services, together with their responses.
When we receive your Application Form we will process it as quickly as possible but please submit your form well in advance to make sure we have enough time to consult with all the relevant parties and prepare legal notices to close the road. There will be no fee for this.
If your application is successful we will prepare a road closure order and provide you with legal notices for you to erect in your street. You should also provide and erect other notices in the street to forewarn of the event and include your contact details so you can assist people with their enquiries.
You will need to provide barriers and Road Closed signs, and marshal the road closure throughout the event. However if your street is likely to be closed after the street lights come on and into the hours of darkness, you must use reflective signs which you will have to buy or hire. The road closure order will not permit you to close the street in the hours of darkness unless you have undertaken to provide reflective signs. Further guidance on signs and barriers is attached to the Application Form.
Before giving consent the Borough Council will contact the Highway Authority to ensure that your party does not clash with other activities planned in the road. In good time you will need to give the Highway Authority more details of the event and establish if they have any special requirements - for example they may advise you on the hanging of banners, cables and decorative lighting and use of platforms, play items and other temporary structures.
2. If your event requires a licence
If there is no sale of alcohol and the music will only form a small part of the event (for example a stereo with speakers playing in the background) then you do not need a licence.
However, if you are proposing to hold a party that will involve the sale of alcohol or provide entertainment to the wider public for example live music, such as a band, or recorded music, such as a disco, you will need to apply to Gosport Borough Council for a Temporary Event Notice (TEN).
The fee is £21.00 and the application must be received by the Borough Council a minimum of 10 working days before the event is due to take place.
To check whether you need to apply for a Temporary Events Notice and to complete the application form: Temporary event notice licence (TEN)
What else do I need to consider?
While a street party is intended to bring together everyone on your street, some residents may not wish to take part. Therefore it is important to be aware of causing a nuisance.
Ways of avoiding this are:
- Tell all your neighbours about the event and explain what time it will finish. Also, give them a name and telephone number for them to contact if they are disturbed by the event.
- Carry out regular checks throughout the event to ensure any noise is not causing a disturbance to nearby residents.
- If you are playing music, make sure the music level is lowered later on in the evening especially where children or other local residents may be trying to get to sleep.
- Ensure that any 'partying' does not spill outside of the area of your event, and that guests consider neighbours when they are leaving.
- Do ensure that you have made plans so that emergency vehicles can gain quick access to the street.
- Take care when decorating your street not to damage any property. Get the owners consent. Do not attach notices, bunting or lights to key road signs or hang decorations where it could cause a hazard or reduce visibility.
- Plan to clear up the street immediately after the event. Remember it is your event, therefore your responsibility to clear up after it.
Do I need Insurance?
Public Liability Insurance is not required by the Council or the Highway Authority where only local traffic and residents within your street are likely to be affected by your party, although some form of cover against accidental damage is strongly recommended (any reputable insurance company should be able to advise you on this).
For more information take a look here: www.streetparty.org.uk/insurance.aspx
I want to organise a party but my street is just not suitable, what can I do?
While hosting a street party is a great way to bring neighbourhoods together, if you live on a main road where closing the street just would not be an option, or you have concerns about hosting something in your road, there may be an option of organising an event on public land; such as playing fields or even in local halls.
You would need to ask permission of the council, or other owner, and you may have to pay for public liability insurance.
Just remember that the list of things to consider would still apply, as would the insurance recommendation. Also if you are planning to sell alcohol or provide live music, you would still need a license.
For more advice and helpful tips on hosting a street party, you might want to take a look at the Streets Alive website: www.streetparty.org.uk
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