Street parties are a great way to get communities to meet and celebrate occasions such as Royal Weddings, Sporting Events or just for fun

Organising such a party is easy and Torbay Council makes no direct charge for assisting organisers and providing the legal work to close the required roads. The information on this page only applies to small events where only one road is closed and not for Carnivals, Fetes, Sports Events or for Street Works therefore for larger events refer to our Staging an Event page.

The below are the initial considerations to progress a street party:

Complete a road closure application form for Torbay Council to authorise the closure of the road in question. Cost – free.

Signs will be required for the road closures as per a signing schedule provided by the Council, such as ‘Road Closed Ahead’ and ‘Diversion’. For examples of signs and signing schedules see Related Documents. Torbay Council does hold some signs which can be provided under a hire agreement although these signs are available only on a first come first served basis, cost – free. Otherwise TOR2 Limited  the local company providing services to the Council and residents can provide some signage at a small charge if the signs can be collected and returned to them telephone TOR2 Commercial Team on 01803 402928

A warning sign for the road closure will need to be placed out within the road at least 7 days in advance to ensure residents/motorists are aware of the proposals, lamp posts etc can be used to affix temporary signs to if required. However if all residents have been consulted and it is in a cul-de-sac location this may not be necessary

As per our signing schedule, diversion signs will need to be placed out by an accredited individual who is familiar with placing out such signage this is to ensure diversion routes can operate effectively, however Torbay Council can provide this service depending on the time/date the road closure needs to be implemented. The placing out of a simple ‘Road Closed’ sign in a cul-de-sac loaction for example will not need an accreditied individual to place out the sign and this should not deter organisers.

Resources will be required on the day to place out the required road closed/diversion signs as directed by the Councils signing schedule. Also resources to ensure the health and safety of those attending the event is prioritised.

Minimum notice for a road closure where a bus route is not affected is 28 days.Otherwise the notice period is 3 months to consult with bus companies so they can make alternative arrangements and plan a diversion route. Sometimes there are planned road works that could conflict with applications to close roads and the road closure booking system does work on a first come first served basis so the earlier the applications can be submitted the better.

TOR2 understands that some residents will have street parties that may interfere with their waste collections, not wishing to spoil the celebration TOR2 will make every attempt to collect on the following day.

Where parking suspensions are required as a result of a diversion route for buses or the required event this service will be provided by the Council at cost, based on the staff required to place out enforcement cones, signs and to enforce the restrictions. Often events occur at weekends and if extra staff are required to work overtime then this service will be provided to the event organiser based on the costs incurred by the Council. Once a parking suspension request is submitted a cost will be provided to the event organiser for this service. For small parking suspensions (one road) the cost is free.

Health and safety is a concern and once the road closure is implemented all health and safety for the event is then the responsibility of the event organiser together with the liability for the event. The organiser needs to consider the possible scenario of an individual(s) suffering personal injury or property damage as a result of negligence and the implications this might have on organisers who may be held responsible. Therefore it is recommended that organisers arrange a suitable public liability policy which would provide financial protection in the event of a claim being made against the organisers.

Event organisers can find a host of resources for street party planning, advice and support on the Street Party  website.