Projects and initiatives

Traffic is barred from dozens of borough streets while residents throw street parties as the Big Lunch event each year. The Big Lunch is a nationwide initiative designed to encourage good neighbourliness and better and friendlier relations with people living nearby. In 2010 the council made it easier for people to hold street parties by cutting through the red tape and also charging a simple fixed fee towards the costs of closing a road. In 2011 we saw a repeat of that success on Sunday 5 June. Next year's Big Lunch will be extra special as it is being tied in with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. A special 4-day Jubilee bank holiday has been announced to mark the occasion so there will be plenty of time for you to enjoy lunching in your community over the long weekend - Saturday 2 - Tuesday 5 June.

The Big Lunch is an excellent way of promoting community safety and crime prevention by celebrating and encouraging community spirit; the friendlier neighbours become with one another, the more likely they will be to look out for each other, which will help to prevent crime and keep vulnerable people safe from harm. Naturally this initiative is one we at Community Safety celebrate and we will have our Road Show vehicle out across the borough promoting community safety and crime prevention. Please spread the word about the Big Lunch to your neighbours and start thinking about ways you can get involved on the day itself. You can read more about this initiative at www.thebiglunch.com.