Guidance for holding a street party
Organising small, private street parties for residents is very simple and generally does not include activities that need a licence.
Your street party should have a named person in charge, usually the event organiser. They must be present throughout the event and easily identifiable.
It is best to plan early and think about what you want to achieve and how everything is arranged. You should make sure that all the properties affected are informed about the street party. If a lot of people in the area affected object, you need to consider having a smaller more local event, perhaps in someone's garden.
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Notify the council
You need to notify the Council about your plans and any possible road closures at least 4 weeks before to your party as these will require consideration by the Council. You can do this by completing the notification form:
Notification of Intention to hold a Street Party[word - 281kb]
What you need to consider when planning your event
- Can I have a party in the street?
- Is a 'special event' traffic regulation order needed?
- Do I need insurance cover?
- Do I need to do a risk assessment?
- Do I need a licence to serve alcohol?
- Do I need a licence to play music?
- Do I need a permit to serve food?
- Do I need permission to have a tombola/raffle?
- Do I need to clean up afterwards?
Can I have a party in the street?
Yes it may be possible to hold a party in the street depending on how much traffic uses the street and whether the traffic can use another route. However, if possible your party may be better held off the road, so if there is a piece of land, such as a field or garden this should be used in preference. If it is private land, you will need the permission of whoever owns the land to use it. If the party is to be held on Council land, you will need to contact the Council on (0191) 4247206.
Is a 'special event' traffic regulation order needed?
The Council will need to consider whether it can make an order to close your road for the street party as a special event. Generally there are likely to be problems having a party on main roads, main access roads, bus routes, or roads with a speed limit greater than 30 mph.
Before notifying the Council of your plans, you will need to consider who would be affected by any road closure that may be needed for your party.
- Is your road used by residents and visitors to your street only or is it a through road for other traffic?
- Are there any businesses in the wider area that use your road for access?
- Are there any bus routes affected by the road that would be closed for your street party. If so, then usually it will not be possible to close your road.
- How will emergency vehicles get access during your street party? In the interest of safety you need to ensure that roads are accessible at all times for all emergency vehicles
- How will people know the road has been closed off - have you thought about barriers/diversion signs you will need to put in place? If you haven't, you can speak to the Council on (0191) 4247611 or visit Streets Alivewho will be able to help you with street signs.
A Temporary Traffic Regulation Order will be posted on site 14 days prior to the commencement of the event. This will be organised by the Council at no cost to the Party Organiser.
Any Police Officer has the absolute authority to require the reopening of a road in the event of an emergency, regardless of any road closure order that may be in force. This authority extends to the situation where a Police Officer fears for public disorder.
Do I need insurance cover?
You should consider taking out public liability insurance cover for your party as this should then cover you were there to be any damage or injuries as a result of your party. Further advice on insurance is available on Streets Alive Streets Aliveand The Big Lunch. The costs can always be split between residents, or you could hold a raffle or ask for donations to cover the costs. Quotes for insurance start from as little as £50.
The councils insurers, Zurich Municipal Insurance can offer both Public Liability and All Risks insurance covers to individuals who are organising street parties at reasonable cost. As is the case with any insurance policy, cover is subject to terms, conditions and exclusions and any street party organiser needs to be clear about what cover is being purchased. Any enquiries should be to the Zurich Municipal Community and Social Organisations (C&SO) Team on 0845 6023895.
Do I need to do a risk assessment?
Although there is no legal requirement to provide risk assessments for a private street party, the Council needs to be satisfied that you are addressing any significant risk resulting from your event. You should therefore think about how you can minimise things going wrong and have a back up plan, for example:
- What would you do if the weather was bad?
- Can you use plastic plates and cups rather than glass to avoid risk of injury?
- Have you made sure an adult is in charge of the barbeque and that children are not going to be able to come into contact with any hot surfaces etc.?
- How will you manage a casualty, i.e. are there any first aiders and what are your arrangements for contacting the Emergency Services?
- Are you going to allow, and if so, how are you going to manage any traffic movement during the event to avoid any damage or injury?
- Are you going to have any Inflatable (Bouncy Castles), tents or gazebos and how are you going to make sure they are erected and dismantled safely and manage use of them to ensure no-one is hurt?
- Are there any sources of power to be used i.e. electrical, gas where extra care will be needed? If you are using any electrical equipment ensure it is in good condition, and suitable for outdoor use. Try and lay cable so they are not a tripping hazard.
- If you are using electrical equipment, is it in good condition and suitable for outdoor use? How will you make sure people don't trip over electrical cables?
- Will there be people to clean up as you go to make sure that rubbish build up doesn not become a fire hazard, and spilt food doesn't cause slips.
- If you are using a generator, how will you store the petrol safely and securely?
Do I need a licence to serve alcohol?
No, licences are only required if alcohol is sold. At a private party, sharing drinks with your neighbours does not require a licence. If you want to have a bar selling alcohol or intend to provide entertainment to the wider public, or charge to raise money for your event, you would need a Temporary Event Notice, a type of temporary licence which costs £21. You must give the Council 10 working days notice when submitting a temporary event notice. (The Council does not have discretion to waiver the 10 working day period). Similarly, larger public events attracting more people will require a different process.
If you need a Temporary Events Notice or would like to hold a larger public event, please contact the Licensing Section on (0191) 424695 or email licensing@southtyneside.gov.uk for further information and advice.
Do I need a licence to play music?
No - if your street party is a private party for residents and the music is not advertised in advance to attract people, and you're not making money then there is no need for a licence for your music, whether it's live or recorded. The council will want to ensure most people affected are happy with your event, so if there are any objections you should let the Council know. However, you need to be aware that not everyone will be able to join in as there may be elderly people, people with young children, or people who work shifts etc. so let everyone in the area know what time the party will start and end.
To make sure that you don't disturb people who can't join in, you should consider finishing any noisy activities or entertainment by 9pm at the latest. The Council or the Police may need to take action if you are creating a disturbance to others with the noise you are making or if there is disorderly behaviour.
Do I need a permit to serve food?
No - as a private party, you do not need a licence under the Licensing Act 2003 to sell food (unless you wanted to only sell hot food and drink after 11pm) and you would not need to be registered with the Council as a food business to provide food for a single event.
However, to avoid any risk of giving your neighbours food poisoning, good food hygiene is important. Catering for larger numbers of people needs careful preparation and consideration as to how you will be able to keep food at the right temperature if it is prepared in advance.
Advice about food hygiene is available from the Council's Environmental Health Service on (0191) 4247903 or from Food Standards Agency. Remember you can always ask your neighbours to bake a cake, make a sandwich or bring food to share with one another. This is also a good way to bring different groups of people together.
Do I need permission to have a tombola/raffle?
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. Any proceeds from the tombola/raffle must go to a good cause such as charity or even covering the cost of your party. Alternatively, if you did want to raise some money for your local church or charity, you can always ask people for donations.
Do I need to clean up afterwards?
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 and get some volunteers to help pick up and sweep up. If there is rubbish left and the Council has to clear it up, the party organiser can be charged for the costs incurred.
For further helpful tips, advice and support for organising a successful event, visit Streets Aliveand The Big Lunch
