Council warns that deadline to apply for street party is close

FAMILIES in Coventry are being urged to apply soon if they want to host a street party to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The monarch will be celebrated with a four-day bank holiday weekend from June 2.

It comes as Queen Elizabeth II will mark 70 years since her coronation. Her Majesty became the first UK monarch to hit seven decades on the throne earlier this year.

Now families across the UK and Coventry are planning to host street parties or Big Jubilee Lunch events across the weekend. But Coventry City Council has warned the deadline for applying to hold a street party is May 16.

Councillor Abdul Salam Khan, city council cabinet member for events, said: “Momentous occasions like the Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee deserve special celebrations. Along with the other activities we have planned in the city, getting together with the community and neighbours is a great way of helping mark the Queen’s 70 years of service to the country and its people.”

Jon Hogan, head of events at Coventry City Council said: “As part of the special celebrations for the Queen’s Jubilee, we encourage local communities and neighbours to also organise their own local get togethers, BIG Lunch, or street parties especially with such parties being synonymous with royal Jubilee events. To enable any applications for individual streets to be considered for closure, we would need to receive applications by 5.00pm, 16 May. This would enable Council colleagues in the Highways Team, to assess any applications for road closure and suitable traffic management to make any events and activities safe for all.”

Anyone wanting to hold a Jubilee street party in Coventry should email temptm@coventry.gov.uk. These are for smaller events for residents and neighbours only.

They cannot involve entertainment to the wider public or the sale of alcohol. Events wanting to sell booze would need to apply for a temporary licence at a cost of £21.

Anyone wanting to look into licensing or food safety for street parties should contact licensing@coventry. gov.uk. Small-scale street parties however do not need to have a licence for selling food.

Information on the events in Coventry across the Jubilee bank holiday can be found here www.coventry.gov.uk/ jubilee. For information on the Big Jubilee Lunch visit https://www.edenprojectcommunities.com/the-bigjubilee-lunch.