Street parties and fetes

Street parties and fetes are a long-held British tradition that we want to encourage and make easier to hold.

Organising a small street party or fete is often quite simple and you do not always need a licence or insurance, as long as your event is organised by and for residents and neighbours only.

How to arrange a road closure?

Please contact your local district or borough council – they can arrange a temporary road closure and advise what else you need to do:

• Street party consent - Eastbourne Borough Council
• Street closures - Lewes District Council
• Road closures  - Hastings Borough Council 
• Temporary road closures - Rother District Council 
• Road closures - Wealden District Council

Planning your street party

You can find lots of information and tips about how to get started with planning a street party from these websites:

• Street party
• Your guide to organising a street party - GOV.UK
• Organising a street party - GOV.UK
• The big lunch

Decorating the street

If you are planning to attach bunting and other decorations to street lights, please make sure:

• they are high enough not to cause an obstruction
• you do not drill any holes or use nails or glue
• your decorations do not cross or overhang the road

You will need a licence from East Sussex Highways for banners, decorative lighting or bunting that hang over the highway. You may also apply to borrow traffic cones, signs or barriers for an event.

• Apply for licence to place decoration, banners or bunting
• Request to loan signs, cones and barriers

If in doubt, do not hesitate to get in touch with the Highways contact centre.