Council encourages Jubilee celebrations (From Western Telegraph)

Council encourages Jubilee celebrations

A campaign to inject fresh enthusiasm into the Queens Golden Jubilee celebrations in Pembrokeshire has been launched.

Spiralling costs and tough regulations have all but ruled out the traditional street parties which dominated the Silver Jubilee celebrations. Pembrokeshire County Council has now stepped in with a helping hand. Towns and villages planning to celebrate on June 3rd are to be encouraged to use school grounds and other council-owned land. The authority has made this offer because of the expense of holding street parties.

Huw Roberts, the councils director of transportation and environment, advises that street parties need to be properly controlled. He admits the cost could be prohibitive.

Street closures need to be advertised and the appropriate signs put up. In addition, risk assessments would have to be carried out and public liability insurance cover would also need to be in force for a minimum of £5 million Limit of Liability in respect of any one incident, says Mr Roberts.

The council is now looking at ways of providing more cost-effective locations.

Using school grounds and other council-owned open spaces for parties is a possible solution.

Risk assessments would still be required and other arrangements, such as the clean-up operation afterwards, could be undertaken by the groups themselves, adds Mr Roberts. The authority is currently writing to town and community councils, enclosing an application form, asking them to identify any jubilee celebrations in their area.

We need to know the scale of proposed jubilee events in the county and where it is intended to hold street parties, says Mr Roberts. This will enable all necessary orders to be advertised together in local newspapers to keep costs to a minimum. Preparations for the June 3rd celebration are already under way at Bwlch-y-Groes.

Its village school closed last year and one of the events organisers, Helena Chambers, says the jubilee is an opportunity for drawing the community together again. The event - a childrens tea party and an evening barbecue - will be held at the old school and local businesses have donated money to pay for commemorative mugs.

We are a strong community, everyone is pulling together, says postmistress Mrs Chambers. After losing our school it is nice for the community to join together in celebration.