The Queen's Platinum Jubilee will see celebrations take place across the nation this summer as people come together to commemorate her 70 years on the throne.
The UK has a long history of organised street parties to celebrate national events and the jubilee in June offers an opportunity to continue this tradition.
People across the country are being encouraged to get together with the local community on the bank holiday weekend as part of the Big Jubilee Lunch on Sunday, June 5.
Here is how to host a party in your street this summer.
Planning
First of all it is important to discuss the idea with neighbours and gauge their interest.
Think about the time and size of the event you would like to hold - would it be a quick 'street meet' or will you need to close the road for a few hours?
Write to your neighbours and invite them to discuss their views about the party at a meeting or through their written responses.
Do you need a licence?
Once your neighbours have agreed, it is then time to start organising.
Organising street parties just for residents and neighbours is relatively simple and does not require a licence.
It is important to inform your local council about the event at least 12 weeks in advance in order to allow plenty of time for it to be approved.
You should provide the council with the date and time of the event, whether or not you want to close a section of the road, a list of any properties or businesses affected and if you have consulted your neighbours.
This means contacting them by mid-March, which you can do so via your local council's website.
You only need a licence if amplified music is the main purpose of the event, or if you intend to sell alcohol.
If you do, you will need to apply for a Temporary Events Notice at a cost of £21 which covers events of up to 500 people.
Road closures
Gaining a temporary road closure for a street party is a straightforward and simple process.
All the council needs to know is where and when the road closure will take place so they can plan around it and enforce a temporary traffic regulation order.
This is usually done through an online form which you should aim to complete six weeks in advance.
The council may charge a small fee for implementing a road closure although they are not required to do so.
Local councils may be able to lend you cones and signs for the road closure but it may be that you will have to source them yourself.
Alternatively, you can keep the street open and organise a 'street meet' on private land nearby.
While you won't need to fill out any forms for this, it would still be a good idea to contact the council.
A useful guide for organising street meets can be found here.
Do you need insurance?
There is no requirement from central government to get public liability insurance for a street party although some councils may recommend it.
You can read more about insurance here.
Do you need a food licence?
One-off events like street parties are not considered a food business so therefore there is no need to have a licence to serve food.
Although of course it would be smart to take care when preparing food so as not to spoil the party.
More advice about providing food at community events can be found here.
Share the event
Once you have completed all the organisation, it is time to spread the word about the party.
Send out invites to neighbours and put posters up locally to help ensure a good turnout.
Ask if people would like to be involved and help with setting the party up by providing tables, seating, food and entertainment.
To connect with people across the country, you can share your event on the Queen's Platinum Jubilee website here and put your party on the map.
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