The Times - UK (2022-05-23)

the times | Monday May 23 2022 9

News

Organisers of Platinum Jubilee street
parties have been ordered to devise
counterterrorism measures and con-
tingency plans for extreme weather.
Council have banned residents from
hanging bunting off lampposts and
warned them not to invite family and
friends from afar to events over the long
bank holiday weekend.
Michael Gove, the communities
secretary, has written to all local
authorities to ask them to loosen rules
and minimise bureaucracy after re-
ports of councils demanding paper-

Get out the bunting (and the counterterror plan)

George Grylls Political Reporter work from people trying to organise
street parties. He has asked them to be
“completely flexible” when dealing
with requests for road closures and to
make sure they are “cutting red tape”.
An extended bank holiday from
Thursday, June 2, to Sunday, June 5, will
celebrate 70 years since the Queen
acceded to the throne. People across
the country are being encouraged to
host a jubilee lunch in their neighbour-
hood or a street party.
However, in some areas councils
have intervened to stipulate the exact
rules for how people can celebrate. In
Bournemouth, residents have been told

not to use lampposts for bunting

because they were “not designed for

this purpose”. In Hemel Hempstead,

Hertfordshire, Gloria Odell, a pension-

er, was sent 23 pages of guidance for or-

ganising a street party, which included

recommendations on drawing up a

counterterrorism plan. In Gove’s own

constituency of Surrey Heath, party

organisers are forbidden from using

glass for drinks and instructed to use

disposable cups instead. They must also

prepare for “extreme weather” as well

as “slip, trip and fall hazards”.

In North Tyneside, no family or

friends can join celebrations reserved

for “immediate residents”. On the Isle

of Wight people have been ordered to

draw up a traffic plan.

A source close to Gove told The Mail

on Sunday: “Of course people should be

responsible and think about the safety

of those attending but we encourage

councils to be flexible and minimise

pointless red tape and tick-box form

filling.” In his letter, Gove tells councils

to look favourably on road-closure

applications. “Your residents should be

made aware of all the support that is

available and no one should be put off

by needless red tape,” he says. “National

celebrations like this mean a lot to our

communities and the fabric of our

society. The efforts made by you and

your local communities will make this a

momentous weekend of truly UK-wide

celebration — and I would like to hear

from you to understand what more we

can do to make it quicker and easier for

communities to come together regular-

ly in the future.”

Guidance from Gove’s own depart-

ment stipulates that street parties are

“only for residents/neighbours”. It says

that if alcohol is served, residents will

need a temporary events notice costing

£21 and that organisers “must ensure

any food provided is safe to eat”.

T

he Prince of

Wales and

Duchess of

Cornwall are to star

in an episode of

EastEnders to mark

the Platinum Jubilee

(Jake Kanter writes).

The royals visited

the set of the BBC

soap in March to film

scenes in which they

join Albert Square’s

celebrations. A source

on set said Charles

and Camilla appeared

nervous about filming

but the visit “went

really well”. The

episode will be shown

on June 2. Danny

Dyer, who plays Mick

Carter, said: “They

were very charming,

really chatty. They’ve

got mad faces when

you’re close.”

Soap has

right royal

knees-up

NNNNNNNNNeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwsssssssss

episodewilllbbe shhhhown

AARON CHOWN/PA

Jamie Borthwick and

the rest of the cast meet

Charles and Camilla