East Suffolk Council
Organising a street party
The Government has produced a guide on how to hold a street party in your local area that sets out the things you need to think about and the information you will need to let us know:
Please read the guide in conjunction with the advice given on this page and don't forget you can always contact our Licensing Team for further help and guidance.
What sort of events does this apply to?
The guide is for 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:
| Main differences between a small street party and other public events | |
|---|---|
| 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 if music is incidental and no selling of alcohol is involved. | Licence usually needed. |
Small, private street parties generally do not include activities that need a licence, such as selling alcohol or providing certain types of entertainment. If you want to have a pay bar or intend to provide entertainment to the wider public, or charge to raise money for your event, you will need a temporary event notice which is a type of temporary licence which costs £21 and covers events for less than 500 people.
Please bear in mind that the Council's Licensing Team, the police and Environmental Health must receive copies of the completed temporary event notice at least 10 working days before the day of the proposed event and the police or Environmental Health may object if there are crime and disorder, or health and safety concerns.
Larger public events attracting more people will require a different process. If would like to hold a larger public event, please contact our Licensing Team for further information and advice.
Road closure requests
The system to request street closures for outdoor parties across Suffolk is managed by Suffolk County Council. The system means that closures for civic parades and Remembrance Service events, as well as street parties, which take place on non-through roads, will be free of charge. For all other events there will be a charge.
Public liability insurance
You may also want to consider public liability insurance, depending on the size and type of your event.
Tips on keeping food safe at your event
When you are making food for large numbers of people it is especially important to keep food safe. The NHS Choices website has some practical tips on food preparation, cooking, cleaning, storing along with catering for parties and events.
The Food Standards Agency has issued special advice for anyone considering hosting a street party this summer.
Organisers planning larger events should consult with their area Safety Advisory Group at an early stage. The purpose of the Safety Advisory Group is to enable the relevant regulatory and response agencies to consider events that have implications for public safety.