In previous years, virtually every community staged a street party with makeshift tables laden with homemade cakes, jellies and fizzy drinks. But has red tape put paid to people power?

Swale council has certainly taken a back seat, preferring to offer cash to help other groups celebrate, but has that dimmed expectations in Sittingbourne and its surrounding villages?

A council spokeswoman said: “We know from experience that the best way to support celebrations is to help fund community-led events. That is why we provided more than £36,000 to community groups earlier this year to help them put on Jubilee celebrations this weekend.

"This was publicised in the local press to ensure people knew how to apply in good time to organise successful events."

She added: “We offered all groups the opportunity to have their event publicised on the Visit Swale website and some have taken us up on the offer. Some smaller events with limited capacity have not advertised so their numbers can be managed.”

Councillor Richard Palmer, who was cabinet member for community, said: “We had a huge response to our Jubilee grants earlier this year, contributing more than £30,000 to community groups all over Swale for local events.”

Before you ask, the council's headquarters, Swale House in East Street, is to get a special jubilee flag on Monday to fly during the celebrations and the High Street's lampposts and bollards have been touched up with some last-minute gold paint.

The winning design of The Queen's Crown from Sittingbourne in Bloom’s school competition is already adding colour to the town centre.

Diversity House in Church Street is hosting a Big Jubilee Tea Party on the Sunday from 11.30am to 3.30pm and Swale Media Arts Centre in the High Street is also pulling out all the stops.

It is staging a free exhibition of vintage royal memorabilia all week from 11amm to 3pm and is screening Sir John Mills' Tribute To Her Majesty, which was made by a local production company to mark the Queen's 60th birthday, on Saturday at 7pm. Tickets are £6 (free to members) from 07831 563354. Refreshments included.

There’s a teddy bears picnic at the Sittingbourne and Kemsley light railway over the long weekend, complete with a fish and chip supper evening ride, and a fun day planned at the Ship Inn at Conyer.

Teynham parish council is hosting a Picnic in the Park to celebrate the Queen's jubilee on Sunday. The event will be opened by Princess Olga Romanov, the Queen's cousin, at 12.30pm.

On Thursday the village will light its jubilee beacon at 9.15pm on the Meadow next to the village hall.

Lynsted has organised four events with a hog roast at the Black Lion pub on Thursday at 5pm leading to the lighting of the jubilee beacon at 9.45pm. A coronation film and local history talk will be at the parish church on Friday from 2pm to 4pm followed by a quiz at 7pm.

Lynsted and Norton Primary School is hosting a picnic with games for all the family on Saturday from 1pm to 4pm with a tea tent, face-painting and creepy crawlies. A special jubilee service will be held in the church at 10.30am on Sunday followed by a street party picnic on the village green opposite the Black Lion at 1pm.

On Thursday (June 2) Swale's new mayor Cllr Simon Clark will light a jubilee beacon at The Playstool, The Street, Borden, from 8.30pm after a parade from the village hall in School Lane.

Twenty-six street parties are planned across Sittingbourne compared with eight across Sheppey. But all will be muted affairs with Kent County Council ruling they must be held quietly and without music or noise.

After waiving the regular road closure application fee, KCC received 595 requests of which only 20 were turned down.

An additional seven applications to hang bunting or signs from street lighting were also approved so far. While the deadline for road closure applications has passed, requests to hang bunting or signs from street lights can be made up to 4pm this Friday.

Permitted road closures for street parties include:

Thursday, June 2: Musgrave Road, Sittingbourne; Rettendon Drive, Sittingbourne.

Friday, June 3: Church Street, Sittingbourne; Albany Road, Sittingbourne; Rose Walk, Sittingbourne.

Saturday, June 4: Howard Avenue, Sittingbourne.

Sunday, June 5: Cormorant Road, Iwade; The Square, Kemsley; The Street, Lower Halstow; Cellar Hill, Lynsted; Belmont Road, Sittingbourne; Bluebell Drive, Sittingbourne; Brier Road, Sittingbourne; Park Road, Sittingbourne; Periwinkle Close, Sittingbourne; Recreation Way, Sittingbourne; Russell Close, Sittingbourne; Trotts Hall Gardens, Sittingbourne; Ufton Road, Sittingbourne.

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