Fees are to be waived for those wishing to hold street parties as Liverpool prepares to hold “flag waving, marching band playing, scone eating” events to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Liverpool Council has confirmed that through the special bank holiday weekend in June, the usual fee of £2,000 to close a road will not be needed as the monarch celebrates seven decades on the throne. In order to do so, residents will be asked to fill in an online form to start the process of getting the required permissions in place.
Liverpool is the second Merseyside area to waive road closure fees for the jubilee after Wirral Council signed off on a similar scheme earlier this month. Closing a road in Wirral is substantially cheaper on that side of the river, costing just £1,500.
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City centre celebrations of the jubilee are scheduled to take place on Thursday June 2 and Friday June 3. Angie Redhead, head of assets at Liverpool Council, told the authority’s culture and visitor economy select committee earlier this month that the main commemoration will be a “really celebratory, family friendly event,” the type of which she described as a “flag waving, marching band playing, scone eating” gathering.
Documents submitted to the committee said that “one thing is for sure, visitors will leave with a renewed sense of civic pride and admiration for our monarch.” Ms Redhead said residents were encouraged to hold street parties for the jubilee and added: “It’s a real moment in time and we just want to do what Liverpool does best, sing Rule Britannia, wave our flags and eat our scones.”
Major roads or key bus routes are not eligible for road closures and will not be considered by the council if submitted. Those seeking to close their road during the period of 2-5 June must prove that their event is organised and funded by the applicant.
A temporary events notice will be needed for the sale of alcohol and public liability insurance will be required throughout the duration of the event. Most of the residents in the locality must also agree to the closure.
The deadline for submissions is 12pm on Friday May 6th. Liverpool Council will also launch an online consultation to give residents the opportunity to ask questions and raise concerns, details of which are to be confirmed
A limited number of small grants to contribute to the purchase of party decorations is available from the Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund (Merseyside). Other Queen’s Jubilee celebration events taking place in the city across the bank holiday weekend include the food and drink festival Taste Liverpool. Drink Bordeaux which will be taking over three areas of the city centre – Hope Street, Bold Street and Castle Street.
Cllr Abdul Qadir, Liverpool Council cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said waiving the fee on road closures would “alleviate some of the financial concerns” should people wish to hold parties while his cabinet colleague, Cllr Harry Doyle, said he hoped “as many residents as possible take up the opportunity for their very own party and so we can have that festive feel-good factor right across Liverpool.
