One week left to organise a street party

People hoping to arrange a road closure so that they can stage a street party to coincide with this year's Big Lunch initiative - have just seven days left to make the necessary application.

Anyone who wants to close off their street to traffic so that their neighbourhood can host a street party for the Big Lunch must contact the town hall by next Friday (June 18).

Although the Big Lunch itself is being held on Sunday, July 18, party organisers who want to close their street to cars to mark the occasion must notify the council one month earlier. This deadline allows just enough time for the legal notices advertising the closures to be drawn up and published.

Anyone who wants to free up their street from traffic for the day will need to pay a fixed fee of £75.
This flat-rate amount will contribute to the council's overall costs of drawing up the notices, publishing the adverts and all the other expenditure associated with a road closure.

Council leader Edward Lister said: "There is just one week left for people who want to organise a road closure for a street party, so if you are thinking of staging a community event like this, you must contact the town hall by next Friday.

He added: "The council has kept the costs of doing this as low as possible so that as many streets as possible can take part in this year's Big Lunch initiative.

"If you would like to set up tables and chairs and have a wonderful lunch in the middle of your street, we are doing all we can to help make this happen.

"There are certain legal formalities that must be completed beforehand, which is why we need to hear from you by June 18, but we will take care of all these so that you can concentrate on organising your event and having a lovely day."

The Big Lunch is a nationwide initiative designed to encourage good neighbourliness and better and friendlier relations with people living nearby.

Last year's Big Lunch saw almost one million people come together to enjoy community events – and this year the organisers want millions more to knock on the doors of their neighbours, say hello and invite them for lunch.

For advice about arranging a road closure, and to notify the council that one is required, organisers should contact the technical services department on (020) 8871-6708.

Roads on which buses operate will unfortunately not be able to take part. Residents are also being advised to alert their local police safer neighbourhood team.

For a whole menu of ideas on how you can run your own Big Lunch, or to find a Big Lunch in your area, visit www.thebiglunch.com. You can become a fan of the Big Lunch Facebook page or follow it on Twitter at www.twitter.com/thebiglunch - for up to date information.