Platinum Jubilee street parties in Worthing applying for road closures

Her Majesty the Queen will celebrate 70 years of service this year and the occasion will be marked with a four-day Bank Holiday weekend from Thursday June 2 – Sunday June 5.

Adur and Worthing Councils have waived road closure fees for the whole weekend to allow street parties to take place but revellers are being encouraged to apply before the deadline on April 15.

Worthing Borough Council leader Kevin Jenkins (Con, Gaisford) said: “The closure date for applications is the fifteenth of April which sounds a mile away but it’s not.

“If people can get their street closures in we would welcome them by the deadline.

“Let’s see both Adur and Worthing come to a standstill with everybody out in the streets celebrating and having a very good time.”

Elizabeth Sparkes (Con, Offington) – who is also the member for Cissbury at local highways authority West Sussex County Council – said people were already putting in their applications.

“On my county council email every day, I see at least half a dozen roads in Worthing that have made that [road closure] application and are going to have a street party,” she said.

“Clearly they are very much taking advantage of this opportunity, which is very nice.”

During a joint strategic committee meeting on Tuesday (8 February) senior councillors gave the nod to nearly £50,000 for Jubilee events.

Most of these dovetail with national events such as The Queen’s Green Canopy tree planting initiative and the Big Lunch campaign.

But the councils’ chief executive Catherine Howe said she wanted to enable residents to celebrate in their own way.

“There’s some activities here which we’re going to be coordinating and they’re mainly at the behest of either the palace or the national programme,” she said.

“Otherwise the approach is to create a tool kit for residents to figure out what they actually want to do.”

The chief executive said that insurance may not be needed to run a street party but encouraged organisers to check with the council first.

Edward Crouch (Con, Marine) said the Queen’s 70 years of service had been ‘dignified’.

“I think this selection of events and community enablement is a really significant glazing on that service, so I welcome the events,” he said.

“Let’s just hope we have some traditional British summer weather rather than the murky stuff.”

If you are thinking of organising an event to mark the Platinum Jubilee you can find more information on the councils’ website here: https://www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/queens-platinum-jubilee/