The coronation of King Charles III is right around the corner and anticipation of the upcoming celebrations is rising, with plenty planned for the borough of Wigan.
The sad death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022 led to the succession of her eldest child who will officially be crowned on May 6. The landmark occasion means an extra bank holiday for people across the country and the Commonwealth - who are invited to celebrate over the coronation weekend.
For all those that didn’t manage to get an invite to see the spectacle at Westminster Abbey, Wigan Council has a number of events planned to mark the date.
In a bid to try and recapture the feel-good factor of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations from last year, community groups and organisations will be able to apply for free road closures to help host their own commemorative activities. The council will also be providing toolkits and templates to help families get kitted out in Royal colours.
In Leigh, the Big Coronation Lunch will take place on Sunday, May 7, outside Leigh Town Hall and the Turnpike Centre, where visitors will be encouraged to have their own picnics as part of the national initiative. In Wigan, the Mayor will host a Coronation Party in the Park, on Monday, May 8, at Mesnes Park.
Both will be held between 11am and 4pm with an array of local entertainment, food and drink, performers, fun-fairs and family-fun. To support community celebrations across the borough, Wigan Council will cover the cost of road closure applications to encourage neighbourhood street parties.
Applications are encouraged before Friday, March 31, to help with the administration process. If your planned event is on public land, such as a park, then you must inform the council of the decision to do so.
Those wanting to host an event on private land are still strongly encouraged to inform the council of their plans. Community venues such as churches, town halls, community centres, and libraries can all apply for special TV Licensing Dispensation.
The BBC can grant a dispensation of the TV Licence fee for the temporary viewing of television, so long as the viewing is for the sole purpose of screening an event which is judged by the BBC to be of national importance.
Leader of Wigan Council, Councillor David Molyneux MBE, said: “We saw how our borough came together last year and we would like to encourage everyone to do the same again for the Coronation. It’s another historic event that will have the eyes of the world on the UK so we would like our residents to feel part of the celebrations and make it a weekend to remember.
“These occasions are an ideal opportunity for us to showcase our civic pride and highlight what’s great about Wigan Borough’s communities.”
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