ROAD CLOSURES FOR
COMMUNITY EVENTS
If you want to organise a small community
event such as a street party or fete and need to close a road to
vehicular traffic to allow the events to go ahead, then South
Staffordshire Council is likely to be able to help you with this by
using its powers under the Town and Police Clauses Act,
1847.
Road closures for larger public events will,
however, need to be dealt with by Staffordshire County Council
[www.staffordshire.gov.uk] as
the Highway Authority for Staffordshire.
To assist you in deciding which category your
event will fall into, the following guidelines have been published
by the Department for Communities and Local Government [www.communities.gov.uk]
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Small Events
(South Staffordshire Council)
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Large Public Events
(Staffordshire County Council)
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For residents/neighbours only
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Anyone can attend
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Publicity only to residents
No licences normally necessary if music
incidental and no selling is involved
No formal risk assessment needed
Self-organised
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External publicity (such as in newspapers)
Licence needed
Insurance needed
Risk assessment common
Professional/skilled organisers
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Organising small, private street parties and
fetes is very simple and generally does not include activities that
need a licence, such as selling alcohol or providing certain types
of entertainment.
If you want to have a pay bar or intend to
provide entertainment to the wider public, or charge to raise money
for your event, you may need a Temporary Events Notice (a type of
temporary licence). Similarly, larger public events
attracting more people will require a different process. If
you need a Temporary Events Notice or would like to hold a larger
public event, please contact Mrs.J.Cox, Licensing Officer, Legal
and Public Health Protection Services, tel: 01902 696250 e.mail:
j.cox@sstaffs.gov.uk for further information and advice.
If you would like to hold a small community
event, please use the form below to let us know about your
plans. Please contact us at least four weeks in advance of
the date of the proposed road closure.
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Public Liability
Insurance
The Secretary of State for Communities and
Local Government has issued guidance to Councils that there is no
requirement for the organiser of small community events to take out
Public Liability insurance. Organisers should be aware that
no liability will fall on South Staffordshire Council as a result
of the making of a Road Closure Order.
You are advised to seek the advice of
an Insurance Advisor as to your responsibilities in respect of any
damages to the highway and street furniture as well as the general
public liability aspects. You are strongly recommended to
obtain Public Liability insurance cover for the event. The
Highway Authority (Staffordshire County Council) considers that an
appropriate level of insurance cover would be
£5,000,000.
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More helpful tips, advice and support for organising a
successful event can be found on the Streets Alive website www.streetparty.org.uk
Application
for a Street Party or a Small Community Event