Sadiq Khan MP has welcomed the news that Wandsworth residents will not be charged for street parties organised to celebrate the Royal Wedding in April.

While Wandsworth Council normally charges residents to close their road for a street party, they have this week announced that street parties organised for the Royal Wedding weekend will not incur the £75 fee normally incurred by street parties.

Working with Sadiq Khan MP, the Wandsworth Guardian previously exposed Wandsworth Council’s attempts to profiteer from street parties, when the council attempted to charge residents £1250 per road closure for ‘The Big Lunch’ in 2009.

After forcing the council into a u-turn on the costs – a fee of £75 per road closure was introduced by Wandsworth Council in time for 2010’s ‘Big Lunch’.

Sadiq Khan MP said, “I’m delighted that residents will be able to celebrate the Royal Wedding in this traditional manner, for free.

“As we’ve seen over the last couple of years, street parties do a fantastic job of bringing local communities together – what better way to do this than to celebrate the Royal Wedding.”

Balham resident Jo White, who has organised two ‘Big Lunch’ street parties since 2009 said, “‘It’s good to hear that the street parties commemorating the Royal Wedding will be free.

“It would be such a positive move by the council to allow communities to celebrate coming together by waiving the fee at other times too”.