Play Streets

Applications for Play Streets are now being accepted

Play Streets give children the chance to play safely in their street without danger from traffic. They allow you and your children to get to know other people who live on your road.

An organised Play Street closes a road that people live on from traffic for a maximum of three hours, allowing children to play outside. Any cars already parked in the road can stay or leave throughout the duration of the Play Street, but no other cars can be driven along the road.

You can organise for your road to become a Play Street as often as once a fortnight. You can set it up for any day of the week.

We need to six weeks’ notice to process the request.

If your road is on a bus route we are not likely to let you have a Play Street on it.

We will not let you close your road for a Play Street on a day that your bins are due to be collected.

Organising a Play Street

You will need to send all properties in the road – residential and commercial – a notification letter.

You will also need to print the Play Streets agreement form. Two thirds of affected residents must sign the form in support of the closure. 

You can then complete the Play Street Application. Copies of your notification letter and the agreement form must be uploaded to the form.

You need to give us at least six weeks’ notice.

Submitting a request does not ensure you will be allowed to close your street.

On the day

You will need to put up appropriate signs and barriers. There also needs to be at least one adult marshal for each highway onto the road.

You should make sure that it is still possible for people to drive into or out of the road during the closure period.  An adult marshal should walk in front of any vehicles that need to enter or leave.

You need to make sure at least 3.7m along the length of the road is left clear to enable an emergency vehicle access, if necessary.

You must make sure you return the road to its prior condition before reopening it.

Street Party and Playing Out give more advice.

You do not need insurance cover, but we recommend getting public liability cover for the event.
Play Streets is a private event for people who live on the road. This means you can play music without a licence and serve food without a permit.