Residents across Medway can apply to close their street or road for free to celebrate Victory in Europe Day.
VE Day, which marks the end of the Second World War in Europe, falls on Thursday, 8 May.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the historic event, and to mark the occasion, Medway Council is waiving the usual road closure fee for residents who want to host a street party on Monday, 5 May or between Thursday, 8 May and Sunday, 11 May.
Applications for road closures must be received by Friday, 21 March. Completed applications should be sent to Traffic.Management@Medway.gov.uk.
Residents should speak to neighbours and collect a list of names and addresses of those who support and object to the street party before applying, as this information will need to be included in the application.
Cllr Vince Maple, Leader of Medway Council, said: “My dad served in the Royal Navy and was stationed in Chatham, so the Armed Forces are the reason Medway is my home. We have a long, strong and proud military history here in Medway, and our relationship with the whole Armed Forces family is incredibly important to us – so we wanted to ensure our residents have the opportunity to celebrate VE day. I look forward to seeing friends, family and neighbours gathering together, echoing the celebrations from 80 years ago.”
Cllr Alex Paterson, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder covering Highways, said: “It is great news to be able to announce that we are waiving road closure fees so residents are able to host VE Day street parties. We know lots of our residents will be keen to mark this historic anniversary of peace in Europe, so I would encourage them to get in touch as soon as possible.”
Medway Council will also be marking VE Day at its Gun Wharf office in Chatham by raising the VE Day 80 flag on Thursday, 8 May.
More VE Day events and activities will be taking place in Medway, and details will be announced in due course.
A series of national events will also be taking place between Monday, 5 May and Thursday, 8 May to mark VE Day 80. Find out more on the government’s website.
To find our more information about organising a street party, including street condition criteria, and to apply for a road closure, visit: Medway.gov.uk/StreetParties