Street parties and fetes

Holding a street party will affect your neighbours, especially if you intend on a road closure. For this reason, it is important that you write to the owner and occupiers (including business premises) in the street where the event is being held at least twelve weeks before the event. This will help you get support for your event and find out if there are any objections. 

You can use the below sample letters to send to your neighbours or for recording any objections you may receive:

• resident letter
• objection log

If you do receive any objections, you will need to submit them when you fill out your street party application form or email them to network.management@brent.gov.uk at least 3 weeks before the event.

When applying for a road closure, sketch a map of the roads to be closed for the street party and submit it with your application.

Fees

Brent council charge a fee for processing a road closure:

• £200 for street parties (residents only)
• £1,125 Road closure for religious events
• £1,375 Road closure for commercial events

Traffic orders do not have VAT but an additional management fee of 12.5% will be added.

If the event has an entrance fee or is profit-making and commercial in any other way, the council charges its standard fee. 

To find out more about the cost of road closures, contact network.management@brent.gov.uk or call 020 8937 5025.

You must obtain police consent for the event and the road closure. Emergency services must also be allowed full access to the road if they request it. Therefore it is important that the arrangement of stalls, tables and other street furniture is planned in such a way that it can be moved at short notice.

If you do not want cars to be parked on the street during the event, you will need to apply for a parking suspension at least two weeks before the event.

Safety requirements Public safety is the most important consideration in planning your street party.

We recommend that event organisers complete a risk assessment form, this will help identify any accidents that could occur and actions you could take to reduce the risk. Find out more about risk assessments and safety.

We also ask that you to provide proof that you have appropriate and sufficient Public Liability Indemnity in case of any accident resulting from the closure or the event. A list of insurers is available on the Association of British Insurers website.

The risk assessment and proof of indemnity can be submitted when you fill out your street party application form or email it to network.management@brent.gov.uk at least three weeks before the event.

Event organisers must arrange for temporary reflective barriers to be placed at the points of road closures in order to alert motorists. Organisers are also responsible for placing and removing diversion signs. Reflective barriers should be staffed at all times by a responsible person.

In order to maintain access for residents and for the emergency services, a minimum clear-way of 3.66m throughout the length of the closed street must be maintained. Parking of vehicles in the vicinity of barriers is prohibited and no overspill of parking is allowed in any adjacent street. Multiple parking (either side by side or head on) is also prohibited.

Stalls, tables and other objects placed on the street must not obstruct the entrance to individual properties. Additionally, please remember that street fire hydrants and signs indicating the locations of hydrants must not be obscured in any way.

If you want to have a pay bar, intend to provide entertainment to the wider public, or charge to raise money for your event, you will need to apply for a Temporary Event Notice for expected attendance up to 499 people.

The premises user must also give notice to the chief officer of the local police department no later than ten working days before the event by emailing nwmailbox.licensingbrent@met.police.uk or send a letter to:

Brent Licensing Police,
Harrow Police Station,
74 Northolt Road,
Harrow, Middlesex, HA2 0DN