Organising a street party
Due to the coronavirus pandemic and in line with the latest Government guidelines organising of street parties is currently under review.
Holding a street party can be an opportunity to get together with friends and neighbours and celebrate an occasion. A party could also be a chance to meet members of your local community that you may not know so well in an informal situation.
If you have thought you would like a street party but don’t know how to go about it here are a few ideas.
I live in the Wyre Forest Area and I would like to hold a Street Party - where do I start?
Think about what you would like to achieve. Do you want to celebrate a particular event? Think about sharing your idea with fellow neighbours to see if others would be interested in taking part. If there is interest, it may be worth getting together to talk about ideas and how to put them into action. The event can be as simple or involved as you would like it to be.
Some things you need to consider may be:
- What is the purpose of the party? What do you want to get from it for example to have fun, to make friends, to share an experience
- When are you going to hold it? Does the date clash with other events?
- Where is it going to be held?
- Who will be invited?
- Will you have a theme for the party?
- Do you need any equipment needed?
- What help is needed and who will do what?
- What costs are involved and who is going to pay?
- How are you going to let people know about the party?
The GOV.UK website provides a 'Can Do' guide to organising and running voluntary and community events
Hosting an event? Check out our event safety guide for event management tips and downloads.
Do I need a road closure?
If your street is used by through traffic you will need to apply to Wyre Forest District Council for a road closure.
Find out more about road closures including application form
Don’t forget – You will need to arrange for suitable road closure signs and barriers, and the alternative route. Please note these are not available from the Police, County or District Council. You can hire them at your own expense or you can also make your own, the Streets Alive website has templates you can use.
Road closure sign templates from the Street Party website.
Do I need insurance cover?
As the event organiser it is your responsibility to ensure that you have adequate insurance cover for the event. For a street party, you will need to look at your own individual household insurance to check that it includes public liability in your policy. Most policies do.
I would like to serve alcoholic drinks – do I need a licence?
You will not normally need a licence to serve alcohol if you are providing it for free. If you want a sell alcohol you will need a ‘temporary events notice’, which costs £21.
I would like to play music – do I need a licence?
You don’t need a licence, whether the music is live or pre-recorded, as long as:
- Your street party is a private party for residents
- The music has not been advertised in advance to attract people or to make money
Remember music should not be too loud and turn it off before 11.00pm
If you would like more assistance with licences contact Licensing
If you do need a licence or temporary event notice you can find information on both on our licensing pages
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). ‘Bring and share’ is a popular way to get everyone helping with the catering.
Some other points to think about...
Think about how you can minimise things going wrong and have a back up plan. 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 barbecue etc.
After your street party
It is a good idea to let people know what time your party will finish and try to stick to it. You do need to clean up afterwards so have bin bags and recycling bins set aside.