Frome Town Council is urging anyone who is planning a street party in 2025 to set the date for their event by Friday 14th February, if a road closure is required. Changes at Somerset Council mean that a £200 fee will now apply to any road closure. However, road closures submitted to FTC by 14th February can be included in the council’s main application to the county council, avoiding the fee.
Thanks to the efforts of Frome Neighbourhood Network (FNN), Frome has seen an upturn in the number of street parties and neighbourhood-based events taking place. The group can offer information and support to help people connect with neighbours and forge strong communities. FNN steering group member, Mayor Andy Jones, said:
“Frome loves a street party! And it’s wonderful to see so many of them happening around the town, with neighbours becoming friends and all the benefits that can bring. FTC want to help make your street parties a success; you can borrow tables, chairs, bunting and more from us, and access information and guidance about running your street party, or apply for a small grant towards the cost of insurance. The £200 fee for a road closure, introduced last year, threatened to put a stop to the celebrations, but thankfully, the county council have agreed that we can include your parties in a single application. That means no charge for your road closure – as long as you can tell FTC when and where you’re hosting a party, by Friday 14th February. The rest of the planning can wait – all we need is the date, time and location of your party. So meet with your neighbours or your community group and decide on your party date!”
If your planned street party requires a road closure, email info@frometowncouncil.gov.uk with the subject heading ‘Street Party’ by Friday 14th February with the date, time and location of your planned street party, and a Google Maps or screen grab/photo of the street you need to close. You may need to provide a risk assessment and public liability insurance nearer the time.
Information and tips about running a street party can be found on the FTC website at https://bit.ly/frome-street-parties. More information about Frome Neighbourhood Network is at https://www.fnn.org.uk .
