Borough is streets ahead for parties

Thursday January 19, 2012

Above: Royal Wedding street party, Bowerdean Road, April 29, 2011

The double countdown to an exciting year of celebrations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Olympics and Paralympics has well and truly begun and Hammersmith & Fulham Council is making it easier than ever for residents to organise street parties to commemorate these exciting events.

Following successful street parties last year for the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton – now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – and positive feedback from residents, the council is once more looking forward to helping neighbours and friends get together without trudging through reams of red tape.

Last year, the council made it easier for small parties and fetes to be arranged, by cutting the number of forms that needed to be completed by hand to just one simple online form. Residents without a computer can ask to be sent a paper version of the form, which is only four pages long instead of the previous lengthy forms that often amounted to around 20 A4 pages.

Now, Cllr Harry Phibbs, cabinet member for community engagement, says he hopes more people will set up parties this summer for the Diamond Jubilee on June 2-5 and the London 2012 Games, starting on July 27, and is calling on residents to begin planning now.

The deadline for applications for parties is May 4 if it is for the Queen’s Jubilee and June 29 for the Olympics. Residents requiring a premises licence to sell alcohol at their events will need to apply at least six weeks before their planned event.

Cllr Phibbs says: “Last year’s parties were an incredible sight and everyone had a fantastic time. This year, we are hoping that even more parties will be held, exceeding the 34 for the royal wedding. We are thrilled that by cutting bureaucracy and red tape, we have helped make it as easy as possible for local communities to gather, enjoy themselves and get to know each other, and celebrate these fantastic events happening right on our doorstep.

“We have stripped away all the drudgery and hours of completing tiresome bureaucratic forms that used to be necessary when organising a small event, and instead local people have more flexibility and time to concentrate on the fun side of these parties – after all, enjoying yourself is the most important thing about having a party!”

Under previous time-consuming central Government regulations, community groups were asked to apply for up to five separate licences and found it difficult to navigate through the numerous layers of bureaucracy and paperwork. The process could also be tedious which often led to delays or cancellations to community events.

The two requirements of holding a small event or party now are that there must be community approval and that organisers make appropriate arrangements for diverting traffic.

In 2010, H&F Council revealed a list of 105 ways that central government could deliver more for less in an age of austerity. Among the council’s suggestions was the proposal to sweep away the huge number of obstacles that local groups faced if they wanted to hold a community event like a street party, saving both community groups and the council time and money.

H&F says that if all of its 105 recommendations were to be agreed, it could save the council a minimum of £500,000 or £200 million across the country. Nine million council officer hours a year would be saved across Britain, not counting the millions of hours that residents and business spend on dealing with red-tape their end, according to the council.

If you would like to apply to have a small local event, such as a street party, visit www.lbhf.gov.uk/streetparties or contact the switchboard on 020 8748 3020.

List of Diamond Jubilee events:

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