Street parties 'easier to organise' for Diamond Jubilee (From Daily Echo)
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Street parties 'easier to organise' for Diamond Jubilee
2:05pm Wednesday 15th February 2012 in News By Rachel Masker
A number of people held street parties for the Royal Wedding last year
HAMPSHIRE council chiefs are cutting red tape to make it easier for people to hold street parties to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
The county council has announced less bureaucracy surrounding road closures and insurance costs ahead of the celebrations this summer.
Thousands of people across the county are expected to get together with their neighbours and hold street parties on the extended June bank holiday weekend.
The council has said so long as the street is not a through road, for example a cul de sac, and no more than 500 people attend the only permission required is to hang bunting from lamp posts.
This is to ensure there is a named organiser who is responsible for removing bunting and flags after the event.
The local authority is building on the arrangements put in place for last year's royal wedding after Whitehall urged councils to cut unnecessary bureaucracy for street parties.
Conservative Council leader Ken Thornber said: "Even more people may be spurred into organising a party in the street where they live if they know that they can do so without having to deal with a lot of 'red tape' and particularly as we are being given the gift of an extra bank holiday."
The council as highways authority is not requiring organisers of small-scale events to have public liability insurance but suggest they consider it as an option.
However insurance will be required for larger parties of more than 500 people.
The council says any street party on a public road will require a road closure. This means it will be closed to traffic but not pedestrians.
Applications for road closures need to be made to district and borough councils and most have agreed to waive any charges for diamond jubilee street parties.
Meanwhile county council-run festivities include a search for "diamond volunteers" - people who have given 60 years of service to take part in a service of thanksgiving at Winchester Cathedral.
The county is also working with the Woodland Trust to give schools and parish councils oak saplings to plant. To date 500 schools have taken up the offer.
Comments(6)
Polygonia
says...
7:51pm Wed 15 Feb 12
If parties get out of hand phone police, Daily Echo and TV companies to get maximum evidence.
ToastyTea
says...
9:36am Thu 16 Feb 12
Polygonia wrote:Go away you party pooping old ****, the street party event in the Polygon was quality last year. Why would tv companies care ? they would have probably reported how big and good event it was for young people. There was no trouble, nobody hurt, 99% of the people who live around there are students who all enjoyed it. So your reason for not wanting another one is you don't want people to have fun ? sad person.
Anyone who does not want a repeat of the Polygon disgrace should contact their local police / the City Police station/ their Councillors and state in writing that they do not want parties with disco speakers in gardens or more than 200 people attending. If parties get out of hand phone police, Daily Echo and TV companies to get maximum evidence.
userds5050
says...
11:58am Thu 16 Feb 12
ToastyTea wrote:Another moron saying well I had a good time so sod everyone else. I seem to remember you didn't clean up after yourselves last time and got hit with a massive fine. Sorry, but there's no way SCC is going to allow a repeat of this.
Polygonia wrote:Go away you party pooping old ****, the street party event in the Polygon was quality last year. Why would tv companies care ? they would have probably reported how big and good event it was for young people. There was no trouble, nobody hurt, 99% of the people who live around there are students who all enjoyed it. So your reason for not wanting another one is you don't want people to have fun ? sad person.
Anyone who does not want a repeat of the Polygon disgrace should contact their local police / the City Police station/ their Councillors and state in writing that they do not want parties with disco speakers in gardens or more than 200 people attending. If parties get out of hand phone police, Daily Echo and TV companies to get maximum evidence.
ToastyTea
says...
12:08pm Thu 16 Feb 12
userds5050 wrote:Exactly the organisers had to pay for the mess caused so no harm done in the end.
ToastyTea wrote:Another moron saying well I had a good time so sod everyone else. I seem to remember you didn't clean up after yourselves last time and got hit with a massive fine. Sorry, but there's no way SCC is going to allow a repeat of this.Polygonia wrote: Anyone who does not want a repeat of the Polygon disgrace should contact their local police / the City Police station/ their Councillors and state in writing that they do not want parties with disco speakers in gardens or more than 200 people attending. If parties get out of hand phone police, Daily Echo and TV companies to get maximum evidence.Go away you party pooping old ****, the street party event in the Polygon was quality last year. Why would tv companies care ? they would have probably reported how big and good event it was for young people. There was no trouble, nobody hurt, 99% of the people who live around there are students who all enjoyed it. So your reason for not wanting another one is you don't want people to have fun ? sad person.
Sod everyone else ? what exactly was the problem caused to the few non student residents in the few roads around the party street ?? I would love to know. Was it that when you sat in your garden you could hear a little bit of music ? oh dear. Or was it that you had to take a slightly different road to get to where you were going.
I'm not a student and live in the Polygon and I went along and enjoyed it, I would love to see how you or anyone else is going to stop another one happening.
Caledonian2
says...
1:11pm Thu 16 Feb 12
Apart from that it was a fantastic event that was enjoyed by people of all ages and from all walks of life, not just students. Believing that it was a student event because it took place in a largely student area is like thinking that everyone that attends Chinese New Year in Chinatown is Chinese....
There was no trouble at the event, there was a Police presence throughout the day along with licensed security professionals and the music ended promptly on time in respect of the licensing agreement.
Funds demanded by the Council (which I believe were not legally enforceable) were nevertheless donated and paid for in accordance with Royston Smith's statement that "if they cannot pay for the clean up they will not be allowed to have a similar party"
So if arrangements are made to avoid a repeat of the rubbish situation, if the minority of residents who will not want to participate are given plenty of notice so they can make alternative arrangements and the event is co-ordinated with the council what is the problem?
Another party could be a fantastic advert for Southampton. No other city in the Country was able to pull off a similar party despite efforts. Why doesn't everyone, including Ms Barter/Polygonia, work together to make sure an event that is enjoyed by all is possible.
Sadly I think last years Party was a one-off, the stars aligned perfectly to make a great day and any attempts to recapture it won't be the same.
Toastytea, I would also ask that any discussion is civil - insulting people is only going to result in people like Polygonia/MsBarter being further "miltiarised" in the efforts to stop people having fun
Sovietobserver says...
7:19pm Wed 15 Feb 12
We shall now all have to await with eager anticipation no doubt.
The Polygon fiasco of last year may just add a little more in the way of drastic considerations by SCC ,one thinks , perhaps a separate set of restrictions for students and another for residents may be on the agenda.