Organise a street party

If you want to have a pay bar, intend to provide entertainment to the wider public, or charge to raise money for your event, you will need a temporary event notice. This is a type of temporary licence and costs £21.

You may need a premises licence if you expect an attendance of 500 people or more and the event is aimed at the public in general. You will need to provide at least three months’ notice for a premises licence.

For further information contact the council’s licensing team:

• Telephone: 020 7527 3031
• Email: licensing@islington.gov.uk

Find out more about licensing.

We recommend writing to the owners or occupiers of properties at least six weeks before the event. If you intend on a road closure, remember this will affect your neighbours.

Under ‘Useful documents’ you will find templates including a sample letter that you could send to your neighbours, and a sample objection log for recording any objections you receive. You do not have to use these exact templates.

If you do receive any objections, will ask you to provide us with more details about them in the online application form.

We recommend that event organisers complete a risk assessment form for their own use in planning and stewarding. This will help you identify any accidents that could occur and action you could take to reduce the risk. Under ‘Useful documents’ you will find templates including a sample risk assessment that you could complete. You do not have to use this exact template or supply this as part of the application form.

We will also ask you to provide proof that you have appropriate and sufficient Public Liability Indemnity in case of any accident resulting from the closure or the event. A list of insurers is available at the Association of British Insurers website at www.abi.org.uk.

Some events may include selling goods on pavements. For street parties and small community events where you will not be selling any goods, there is no fee to be paid to Islington Council for processing and advertising a road closure.

If the event has an entrance fee or is profit-making and commercial in any other way, the council charges its standard fee. Find out more about road closures.

Please note that the road is not officially closed; any motorist who insists on passage must be allowed through and to park. In our experience most motorists will be happy to take an alternative route. Emergency services must also be allowed full access to the road if they request it. Therefore, it is important that the arrangement of stalls, tables and other street furniture be planned in such a way that it can be moved at short notice.

If you do not want cars to be parked on the street during the event, we would like you to tell us when you ask for the road closure. If you cannot say at this stage, you will need to let our Parking Services Suspension team know at least two weeks before the event. Their contact details are: 

• Telephone: 0207 527 2000
• Email: parkingsuspensions@islington.gov.uk

If you require a road closure, Islington Council will provide road closure signage but organisers will be responsible for placing and taking down the signs. A responsible person should supervise closure points at all times.

In order to maintain access for residents and for the emergency services, a minimum clear width of 3.7 metres and a minimum height clearance of four metres must be maintained, throughout the length of the closed street. Adequate access for emergency services vehicles should be provided and maintained both to and within the site. Such access should only accommodate items that can be easily and immediately removed in the event of an emergency. Parking of vehicles in the vicinity of barriers is prohibited and no overspill of parking is allowed in any adjacent street. Multiple parking (either side by side or head on) is also prohibited. Stalls, tables and other objects placed on the street must not obstruct the entrance to individual properties. Additionally, please remember that street fire hydrants and indicating tablets must not be obscured in any way.

Public safety is the most important consideration in planning your street party. Any decoration, signs or bunting must be securely fastened, must not overhang or obstruct the highway or footway and must not cause a hazard to vehicles or pedestrians. There must not be any open flames, fires or barbecues on the highway, or on the pavement.

You can play recorded or live music at your street party. Even though your party is permitted, please respect others and keep noise to an acceptable level.