Tree-planting project to help mark the jubilee in Bridgend County Borough

Bridgend County Borough Council has completed work on the ‘Green Canopy’ project in readiness for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations later this year.

The project saw the planting of thousands of trees last Winter in five different parts of Bridgend County Borough. The five areas involved are Min y Nant in Pencoed, Coytrahen, Maes y Felin in Wildmill, Foxfields in Brackla and land close to Litchard Primary School.

Using land owned by the local authority, individuals and community groups were invited to ‘plant a tree for the Jubilee’ as part the initiative, which also forms a key part of the council’s response to tackling the challenges of climate change and efforts to achieve a position of net zero carbon by 2030.

The Green Canopy project will be celebrated as part of a four-day bank holiday weekend which will take place between Thursday 2 – Sunday 5 June 2022.

With many communities also planning to hold street parties, the council has issued guidance to ensure they can be organised safely and in plenty of time.

If you would like to organise your own event in Bridgend County Borough, here’s a reminder of what you need to know:

• Plan early - think about what you want to achieve, and where you want to hold the event. If the location is on council-owned land or involves a street / highway, get in touch with the local authority as soon as possible.
• Bridgend County Borough Council will support applications for a road closure to enable a street party to be held as long as the location is suitable for such an event – for example, a cul-de-sac or a minor road with a low level of traffic.
• Some roads must remain open if they e.g. carry a bus route or are needed for emergency access. Public highways that are classed at A, B or C roads are not suitable for closure applications.
• While there is no charge for applying for a temporary road closure, all applications must be submitted by 10 working days before the date of the planned event. You can send these to streetparty@bridgend.gov.uk
• Applications will need to demonstrate that residents within the street are supportive of the road closure. A designated organiser who is fully responsible for the street party and closure should be named along with their contact details.
• The designated organiser will need to provide details showing that a risk assessment has been completed, and that appropriate measures are in place to safely close the road, restrict traffic access for public safety and adequately maintain the closure for the duration of the event.
• As a private party, under Licensing regulations you will not need a licence to sell food unless you want to only sell hot food and drink after 11pm. Agreeing with neighbours to bring food to share at the event is a good way to bring different groups of people together.
• If you want a pay bar, intend to provide entertainment to the wider public or charge a fee to raise money for your event, you will need a Temporary Event Notice for which there is a fee and a required notice period of at least 10 working days. If your event is likely to involve more than 500 people, you will require a Premises Licence – visit our Licensing webpage for more details.
• For small residential street parties, public liability insurance is recommended, but is not absolutely essential. However, it would be a good idea to consider it for larger organised events – for more advice about this, visit streetparty.org.uk.
• Consider whether someone is available at your event who is trained and equipped to provide First Aid. If the event is likely to create noise, please let neighbours and businesses in the area know in advance of the event and provide them with the organiser’s contact details in case of any problems.
• Don’t forget that you will need to clean up after your street party, so please keep your local area clean and tidy. Let people know in advance what time the party will finish, and have a section set aside for bin bags and recycling.

To find out more about organising and holding a street party, visit www.streetparty.org.uk.