Road closures for events

If you're holding a sporting or social event which requires a road to be closed to ensure the safety of the public, you must apply to Middlesbrough Council for authorisation.

All temporary road closures for events on the highway must be covered by a legal order made under Section 21 of the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 or Section 16A of the Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984 for closures of up to one day.

Orders made under the Town Police Clauses Act are appropriate for 'rolling' road closures (for example, for parades and processions) and closures of roads for community events (for example, street parties). Road closures for other events (of up to one day) will need an order made under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

If your event involves closing a road (or roads), making roads 'one-way', or making temporary changes to the way that traffic uses the road, you must apply to the Transport and Infrastructure team at the earliest opportunity to discuss your requirements and obtain a legal order. This is vital, as your event cannot clash with any planned roadworks or other events or road closures nearby. You can search for planned roadworks before making your application.

Applying for a road closure

You may find it helpful to have an informal discussion or meeting with a member of the Transport and Infrastructure team before submitting a formal application. You can email trafficmanagement@middlesbrough.gov.uk.

Step 1

Read the road closure guidance notes first.

Step 2

Apply for a road closure by filling in the road closure online form. Make sure you also read and agree to the indemnity section at the end of the form.

You should include any plans that you think may be helpful when assessing your application, for example a traffic management plan.

Step 3

Once you've submitted your application, we'll send you a letter or email to say that we've received your application. We'll then start processing your application.

In certain cases you may need to attend a meeting and/or site visit with us to discuss the proposed closure and positioning of barriers. We'll contact you if this is necessary.

Step 4

Once the details of the proposed closure have been clarified, your application will be considered at the meeting of the council's public events Safety Advisory Group (SAG). The SAG is attended by representatives from the police, fire brigade, and ambulance service, together with other key transport stakeholders such as local bus operators. The SAG will decide whether the road closure is justified and, if so, whether the proposed traffic management plan is satisfactory.

Once a decision has been made we will let you know the outcome.

Cost

Orders made under section 21 of the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 cost £300.

Orders made under Section 16A of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 cost £3000.

The cost of orders made under the Road Traffic Regulation Act is higher as there's a legal requirement to place notices in a local newspaper (The Gazette).

Please note, the figures above don't include the cost of the traffic management required for the road closure, such as the erection of barriers and diversion signage while the road closure is in place. Any further costs must be met by the event organiser.

Implementing the road closure

Please note that you must employ a specialist traffic management company to implement temporary closure of the highway. The council does not provide this service.

The event organiser will be required to implement the traffic management plan for the event, as submitted with the application. Any changes to the traffic management plan must be agreed with the Transport and Infrastructure team prior to the event taking place.

The event organiser is responsible for informing residents and all other parties affected by the road closure.

If permission is granted for the event, you agree to comply with the indemnity conditions set out in the application form.

You can also download road closure signs online.

Contact

If you have any queries or would like more information, please email trafficmanagement@middlesbrough.gov.uk.