Street parties and play streets

How to apply to close a street for a street party or play street.

About street parties and play streets 

Residential street parties are arranged by local residents or community groups for the benefit of their neighbourhood. Attendance is limited to the residents of the area. 

Play streets enable children to play freely in the street in their local neighbourhood. 

Street parties run by a local business may be organised by, for example, a pub, café, or other local enterprise, mainly for the benefit of the immediate neighbourhood but attendees may come from a wider area. 

Residential street parties 

How to apply 

Local residents or community groups can apply to close the road to hold street parties in their area. We welcome these parties and understand they can bring great benefits to a local community. We appreciate that these events are often low-budget with food and facilities being provided by residents. 

Read the Information about residential parties (Word 43KB) before you apply. 

Complete these forms:

Email the forms to highwayevents@brighton-hove.gov.uk with supporting documentation at least 8 weeks before you plan to hold your party.

We will confirm when we have assessed your application. 

We do not generally charge for road closures for residential street parties (for exceptions, please see below). We will charge if there is a commercial or business element to the event. In these cases, please refer to the guidance for Street Parties run by a Local Business below. 

The important information document and application form guide you through the steps you need to take but you will need to: 

  • consult with all residents and businesses in the street by distributing flyers and completing the petition form above, showing that at least 66% of the affected properties support the event 
  • apply to the council for a formal road closure notice 
  • put out the correct signs and barriers to make sure your road closure is safe 

Some roads in the city are not able to be closed. This could be because of problems with re-routing traffic, emergency access, or if your event is on a bus route. If a road closure is not possible, we recommend looking at using an alternative local road, or an off-street location such as a local park. 

The closure of some roads in the city affects neighbouring roads as well, for example if a one way restriction has to be reversed to maintain access to the surrounding area. In these cases a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order is required, for which a fee will be charged.  

Play streets  

To help you hold a successful play street we've put together these forms:

Email your completed application and petition to street.licensing@brighton-hove.gov.uk at least 6 weeks before your first play street. 

Brighton & Hove City Council supports the aims and objectives of play streets which enables children to play freely in the street in their local neighbourhood.  

The steps below are listed in greater detail at the Playing Out website and these steps should help you to meet the requirements of our play street application form and engage with your local community to ensure you have a successful play street event. 

Talk to your neighbours and set a date 

How you do this is up to you. We advise talking in the street, door-knocking, leafleting and holding an informal meeting. We also provide a template consultation letter (Word 35KB) that you can use.

The important thing is to make sure everyone feels included and consulted from the beginning. 

Get permission and support 

Once you’re sure there’s enough interest from neighbours, complete the petition form (Word 38KB), showing that at least 66% of the affected properties support the event.

You’ll then need to apply to the council for permission to close the road and make sure you have enough people willing to do stewarding and other jobs. Recruiting people is also a good chance to get to know your neighbours better.  

Tell everyone 

This just means publicising the times and dates of your sessions to everyone on the street and inviting them to come outside.

Try to make everyone feel included and ensure it's clear that parents are responsible for their own children. Also, ensure that you have the correct signage and other equipment to close the road safely. 

Play out 

On the day, do a risk assessment. Arrange to meet and brief your stewards at least 15 minutes before the road is due to close.

As long as the road is closed and stewarded safely, you can more or less let everything else take care of itself. 

More information 

Find useful information and templates for signs at Streetparty and Playing Out websites. 

 A Government guide about organising a voluntary event can be found here.

Street parties run by a local business 

Read the Important Information (Word 209KB) before applying for your event.  

Complete these forms:

Email them to highwayevents@brighton-hove.gov.uk with all supporting documentation at least ten weeks before you plan to hold your party. 

We'll confirm when we've assessed your application. 

The standard cost for a street party run by a local business is currently £358. Please note that this fee is reviewed every year and any increase will apply from 1 April. You can pay this either by sending us a cheque with your application or pay online.

If you pay online, please ensure you provide your payment reference in the space provided on the form. 

Where road closures affect surrounding streets, a different fee may be charged. If this affects your event, we will let you know when we have assessed your application. 

The important information document and application form guide you through the steps you need to take but you will need to: 

  • consult with all residents and businesses in the street by distributing flyers and completing the petition form above, showing that at least 66% of the affected properties support the event 
  • apply to the council for a formal road closure notice 
  • apply for a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) if your event includes the sale or supply of alcohol, music and so on 
  • put out the correct signs and barriers to make sure your road closure is safe 
  • provide qualified stewards to manage the road closure 

Some roads in the city are not able to be closed. This could be because of problems with re-routing traffic, emergency access, or if your event is on a bus route.

If a road closure is not possible, we recommend looking at using an alternative local road, or an off-street location such as a local park. 

Contact us 

For street parties 

Email us at  highwayevents@brighton-hove.gov.uk or phone 01273 292 503 

For play streets

Email us at street.licensing@brighton-hove.gov.uk or phone 01273 291 701 

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