Temporary traffic restrictions for road and street works

Overview

A Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO) or Temporary Traffic Regulation Notice (TTRN) is typically required for activities that temporarily affect the normal use of a road, footpath, or public right of way.

You will need our approval if you want to temporarily control traffic, parking and pedestrians.

Such temporary measures which might be required include, but are not limited to:

road and rights of way closures
banned turns
reduced speed limits
parking suspensions and clearways

Depending on the situation, we will help you to coordinate your activities and restrictions and provide the legal services to issue either a TTRO or TTRN under Section 14 (1) of the Road Traffic (Temporary restrictions) Act 1991.

We can issue for:

emergency situations - work that must be completed immediately to fix or prevent situations that are likely to cause danger to people or property
planned situations - non-emergency activities, that are scheduled in advance, such as maintenance, upgrades, or installations carried out by utility companies or local authorities

We issue TTROs for:

planned situations on the highway between 6 calendar days and 18 months in duration
planned situations on public rights of way up to 6 months in duration

We issue TTRNs for:

planned situations on the highway up to a maximum of five consecutive calendar days in duration, which cannot be extended
emergency situations on the highway up to 21 consecutive calendar days in duration, with a further extension for an additional period of up to 21 consecutive calendar days in duration if required

Temporary parking suspensions

You should use this licence to formally request the suspension of parking places and enforce against unauthorised parking. This applies when space is needed to park a specific vehicle, maintain clear access, carry out highway works, or store materials.

We will review applications that propose parking suspensions and provide recommendations based on existing regulations and the road layout.

Private roads

We can only consent to restrictions on public highways or public rights of way. For temporary control on private roads, please contact the land owner.

Public events

If you need to close a road or introduce other restrictions for a public event taking place on the road, please refer to events on the highway.

Footway (pavement) closures

To temporarily close a footway or cycleway (pavement running adjacent to the road), you can request this through a road space booking.

Charges

Planned situations

We offer reduced fees for planned situations if you:

provide at least 3 months' notice
limit the duration of restrictions to a maximum of 5 consecutive calendar days

How long the restriction is for	How much notice is given	Cost
Up to 5 days (TTRN)	Minimum 13 weeks' notice (standard)	£560
Up to 5 days (TTRN)	Less than 13 weeks' notice	£860
6 days or more (TTRO)	Minimum 13 weeks' notice (standard)	£1,560
6 days or more (TTRO)	Less than 13 weeks' notice	£1,860

Emergency situations

How long the restriction is for	Cost
Up to 24 hours	£400
Up to 21 days	£560

Extending or cancelling a Notice or Order

You will be charged £250 if you need to extend or cancel a TTRO or TTRN.

You may incur extra costs, such as advertising, if required; however, this will ultimately depend on how far the application has progressed.

Signing to enforce temporary parking suspensions

You will be charged £130 if we need to produce the signing to accompany a parking suspension.

The fee covers the cost of Dorset Council producing the signs and setting them out on site. Our Civil Enforcement Officers will need to do this, so they can ultimately enforce any suspensions introduced.

Conditions

Temporary Traffic Orders for road and street works are made under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic (Temporary Restrictions) Act 1991. Any restrictions on traffic and pedestrians which are introduced by anyone other than the Police or Highway Authority, without a TTRO or TTRN, are liable to constitute an obstruction, which is a criminal offence.

Establishing communications with the council at the earliest opportunity means we can manage our road network whilst facilitating essential activities.

Some or all of the following conditions apply, dependent on the individual circumstances and nature of the activity to which the TTRO or TTRN relates:

a. Application and licence (general)

In the case of planned works, a full and complete application with supporting documentation must be submitted with at least 3 months' notice.
In the case of planned works where at least 3 months' notice cannot be given, reduced application periods must be pre-approved by the council.
In the case of emergency situations, an application is made as soon as restrictions are known to be required or at least within the immediate hours after they're introduced. Failure to do this will render any interventions on the highway unauthorised.
Any changes to the works activity necessitating amendments to a TTRO or TTRN are communicated to the council at the earliest opportunity.
Any changes to the works activity necessitating the cancellation of an application are communicated to the council at the earliest opportunity. A cancellation fee can be imposed, depending on what notification is received.
Any changes to the work activity that lead to a material impact on the highway and road users must be communicated to the council at the earliest opportunity.
Contact details for administrative use, advertising, public notices, and emergency safety issues must be provided and manned at all times or, at a minimum, when restrictions are in force.
The relevant Permits for road and street works are obtained and conditions attached to a granted Permit are followed.
Any additional terms and conditions for network management needs, on a case-by-case basis, agreed with the applicant.
A licence for a TTRO and TTRN can be rejected or revoked, at any time, and without notice:
- where the council needs to exercise network management duties in the event of unforeseen emergency situations elsewhere on the network
- should the council have evidence of breaches of conditions in isolation, or more wholesale systemic breaches of conditions over time, which have been warned for, but not addressed

b. General traffic management obligations and access during road closures

The applicant arranges for qualified operatives to supply, set up and, at very regular intervals, inspect and maintain all temporary traffic management and will cover all associated costs incurred.
Traffic management arrangements are to be proposed and arranged that they comply with codes of practice and regulations, and any deviation from agreed traffic management plans should be communicated to the council.
Both a TTRN and a TTRO provide that restrictions have effect only when traffic signs are lawfully in place.
Maintain reasonable and safe access to properties within the length of a road closure.
Maintain safe access for pedestrians to access premises within the extent of a road closure at all times.
maintain access for all emergency service vehicles at all times (as a guide - a fire appliance requires 3.25m access width)
Where deemed necessary, station an operative at road closure points to help advise those affected by restrictions.
Supply, set up and maintain any special signs as and when requested by the council.
Supply, set up and maintain special signs to indicate that businesses affected by restrictions remain open for business as usual, with guidance from which direction access is possible if required.

c. Stakeholder engagement and advance warning

Place advance warning signs two weeks prior to the restrictions being introduced at either end of the section being affected.
Notify residents, business and stakeholders directly affected by restrictions, by means of a letter drop. Particular attention should be made to contact any local schools or businesses which may be affected.
If there are any changes to proposals, engagement should reflect this, and stakeholders must be kept informed.
In the case of urgent, unplanned activities, contact should be made with any premises immediately affected by restrictions and particular attention should be made to contact any local schools or businesses which may be affected.

d. Diversions if required

Permissions are obtained from any other highway authority, if a diversion route needed impacts another authority's network, such as National Highways or Network Rail, and neighbouring highway authorities.
Diversion routes are to be signed - unless agreed otherwise.
Diversions to be signed using an equivalent or higher classification of road to the one being restricted - unless agreed otherwise.
Take reasonable measures where required to dissuade motorists from using unsuitable roads which do not form part of a diversion.

e. Insurances, costs and liability

Promptly reimburse the council for any costs incurred arising from any claims made.
Reimburse the council for any strengthening works required on diversion routes or for any damage incurred on diversion routes.
The council accepts no liability for any claims or loss, damage, injury, or death arising from the activity or the licence.
Where the council agrees to a licence to facilitate any activity, the council accepts no liability for any claims or loss, however arising, from needing to accommodate statutory works of an urgent or emergency nature.
Should there be repeated failures to make prompt payment and where we identify outstanding debt, a total stop on issuing licences to an offending organisation will be introduced.

f. Privacy policy

Personal data and contact details contained within an application, will be used by Dorset Council in accordance with our privacy notice.
If you do not consent to our use of personal data, then we may not be able to fulfil requests.

Before you apply

Please ensure you obtain all the relevant permissions for the work you are undertaking.

Licences can be requested and processed simultaneously, but you must request consents separately. This particular licence requests a TTRO or TTRN, but it does not give consent for the activity itself to take place, for example:

if you are undertaking private street works to install or repair apparatus in the Highway you also need a Section 50 licence
if you are installing something like scaffold or hoarding which obstructs the road, you also need to request the relevant licence
if you are working on behalf of Dorset Council or a Statutory Undertaker (utility company), you also need to check you have the correct street works permits in place

Timescales

Planned situations

Complete applications must be received at least 3 months before the restrictions are due to take effect, whether we issue a TTRO or TTRN.

If you do not give 3 months' notice, or if you do not obtain pre-approval for an early start from Dorset Highways with valid reasons, your application is more likely to be rejected. If we agree to accept a reduced notice period, you will pay more for the traffic order.

Emergency situations

Emergency works are defined as work that must be completed immediately to fix or prevent situations that are existing or imminent and likely to cause danger to people or property

Applications in these circumstances must be made as soon as restrictions are known to be required or at least within the immediate hours after they're introduced.

Check road space availability

If there are other activities planned in the area, your proposed dates could be rejected and you might be asked to replan.

Check our roadworks and events map to see planned activities and their likely impact and check our list of traffic sensitive streets, tourism routes and special considerations.

Consent to divert onto another authority's network

If a diversion route is needed and it impacts another authority's network, you need to contact the other organisations; like National Highways, Network Rail or neighbouring highway authorities, and get the approval. They will need to know proposed dates and times when the diversion is in force, and which roads are being used.

Incomplete or late applications could result in a delay in issuing a licence, a delay to the licence start date, or even the decline of an application.

How to apply

If you're applying for a TTRO or TTRN for the first time, you must register an account before submitting your application.

We highly recommend that only someone with experience in applying for temporary traffic orders and/or those with familiarity with the requirements under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic (Temporary restrictions) Act 1991, should apply for this licence. If you are unfamiliar with the process, please contact Dorset Council first, for advice and guidance.

When you log in to our highway licence platform, navigate to TTRO applications for roads, parking or countryside. It should take no more than 10 minutes to submit an application.

When you apply, you will need to provide licence details, details of the restrictions to be introduced and supporting documents - including:

a valid email address which will be used for correspondence, payment and the email address to which the licence approval will be sent
a purchase order number for your invoice (or you can choose to pay over the phone by credit or debit card)
the nature of the restrictions to be introduced and the activities being undertaken
the timings and dates when the restrictions will be in force
an advertising number which will be used for public notices and enquiries (this must be available 24/7 or at least when restrictions are in force)
access arrangements for pedestrians, cyclists, equestrians, emergency services and public and school buses
arrangements for any diversions
illustrative plans which clearly indicate
- the extent of road subject to restrictions
- a diversion route (if appropriate)
- a signing schedule

Register and apply now

After you apply

Our response times

You will receive an automated acknowledgment by email usually within 30 minutes. Please make note of the reference number provided which should be used in all correspondence related to the licence.

Due to the nature of these requests, we review applications based on the lead-times given and restriction start dates - not necessarily in the order in which they are received.

Planned situations

Assuming adequate notice of restrictions is given, we will initially assess a request and unless agreed otherwise, we will undertake an engagement exercise with primary stakeholders, which usually lasts for 4 to 6 weeks. We will inform you when this starts and provide an end date. It is unlikely that we'll be able to tell you the outcome of your application before the engagement exercise has concluded.

We ask that you contact us if you have not received an update or outcome one month before your restrictions are due to be introduced.

Emergency situations

These applications are flagged as needing prompt attention. Please ensure you contact us (if you haven’t already) to inform us of the situation developing. Your acknowledgement email will tell you how to do this.

Keeping you informed of progress

You will receive email updates as your application progresses through different stages of assessment.

You can also track progress of all your requests on our licence portal.

Payment

Should we approve your application, we will email you with the total amount payable and directions on how to make payment.

We offer the following methods of payment for this licence:

purchase order number - we will send an invoice to the address on the application
credit or debit card payment over the phone - your licence confirmation email will indicate a number for you to call

Payment must be made promptly, regardless of the chosen method.

If anything changes

If you need to update your application, your licence or cancel it altogether, at any time, you must let us know. Your acknowledgement email will tell you how to do this.