NUNEATON and Bedworth is all set for an outpouring of patriotic pride.
There were fears that people in the borough would shun what promises to be a magical day for the monarchy this summer.
But at least a dozen applications are in the pipeline for street parties to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
A spokesperson from the borough council’s events and communications team at the Town Hall confirmed there has been a dramatic upsurge of interest.
The spokesperson said: “We have had five definite applications for road closures and at least the same number of inquiries and we are expecting more.
“We have had inquiries from people who do not need a road closure because they are having parties in their gardens or on their front lawns.
“There are also parties being planned in smaller cul-de-sacs where two or three houses will be holding a party.
“They may not need to apply for a road closure but the ones in the bigger cul-de-sacs may have to so it is best to make sure.”
The borough council has made it easier for people to apply for road closures by scrapping charges and cutting through the red tape that normally accompanies an application to close a road for a celebration.
They still have to be rubber-stamped by Warwickshire County Council as the highways authority.
The `blue light’ emergency services also have to be involved, but the Town Hall spokesperson said: “We have made the process fairly straightforward and we don’t anticipate any problems.”
Nationwide celebrations to mark a momentous day in the history of the nation are scheduled for the four-day Bank Holiday from June 2-5.
But there is relief at the Town Hall now that the street party applications have started to appear and council officials are confident that more are being planned.
Street parties were held in the borough last April to celebrate the Royal Wedding when Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the knot in Westminster Abbey.
The communications team spokesman said: “We had a `mad rush’ of last minute applications then and we are expecting something similar for the Diamond Jubilee.
“Anyone who has any queries can call in and see us at the Town Hall or download an application from the council website.”
