AVDC is able to issue road closures for local events around the Vale.

We are however only allowed to issue a closure that is covered by section 21 of the Town Police Clauses Act of 1847.  Where it states that road closures may be issued to aid:

“The prevention of obstruction of the streets within the limits of the special act, in all times of public processions, rejoicing, or illuminations”

There are two different types of road closure.  One, as outlined above is issued under the Town Police Clauses Act of 1847 by AVDC the other is a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order issued by the County Council.  These road closures are covered by Section 16a of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

Do I need a road closure?

In all cases where the proposal is to hold an event on the public highway, the first priority of the event organiser must be to obtain the necessary permission from the authorities.  Event organisers should make sure that they allow themselves enough time to fully plan the proposed event for requests for a temporary road closure order to be made .  A road closure can be very disruptive to local residents and the event organiser should give serious thought  to decide if the event could be held somewhere other than the highway. 

What type of road closure do I need?

Town Police Clauses road closure:

Listed below are some examples of the type of events that could be issued with a Town Police Clauses road closure:

• Parades and Processions
• Christmas light illuminations
• Celebrations of marked events ie Bonfire Night, May Day, Christmas

AVDC reserve the right to refuse a road closure.  Some examples of the reasons are listed below:

• You have not given us enough time to process the application (we require a minimum of 8 weeks)
• If we think that there is a more suitable alternative location for your event
• The road closure covers major roads
• There are a large numbers of people likely to attend the event
• There is no risk to public safety and the necessity for a road closure is questionable
• The risk assessment identifies any unacceptable risks
• The requested closure closes the road for too long (over 8 hours)
• There is too much disruption to the traffic flow
• There is no satisfactory diversion around the road closure
• There is no satisfactory emergency service access to the road closure
• We receive objections from other parties or the public that cannot be resolved
• The organiser does not have satisfactory public liability insurance
• The organiser does not agree to insure all other parties against any potential liability in connection with the event
• Any other grounds deemed relevant to the application

Temporary Traffic Regulation Order:

It is possible that the event you want to hold cannot be covered by a Town Police Clauses road closure.  Bucks County Council can issue a Temporary Traffic Regulation order for the following reasons:

• The closure involves a major ‘A’ road
• Sporting Events
• Street markets
• Commercial Events
• Private Events
• Remembrance Day Parades (This is not covered by the Town Police Clauses Act for reasons of security)
• Road works
• Tree or hedge cutting

How can I apply?

Town Police Clauses

To apply for a Town Police Clauses road closure you need to fill out an application form, and provide a map of the proposed closure.  An application form may be downloaded by clicking on the form below.  Alternatively you may call our office on 01296 585381 and ask for a form to be sent to you.

Once the form is complete you need to:

• Read our road closure protocol (again this may be downloaded at the bottom of the page or requested over the phone)
• Give us at least 8 weeks notice
• Provide us with a risk assessment of the event
• Provide copies of your public liability insurance
• Write to us or email us to confirm that you have read and accept our conditions.
• Make sure that you have enough people to put out all of the relevant signage for the road closure and diversion
• Make sure that you have enough people to manage the road closure while it is in progress
• Check all of the signage on the day of the event to make sure it is all present and correct

Once you have applied for a Town Police Clauses road closure we will:

• Confirm your application
• Consult with, Buckinghamshire County Council, Thames Valley Police, Two Shires Ambulance Service, Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service known as the “Road Closure – Safety Advisory Group (RC – SAG)
• If no objections are raised, we will approve the making of the relevant order
• Send out a letter to the organiser outlining all of our conditions
• Once the organiser has confirmed that they will agree to our conditions in writing, we will send laminated copies of the order to the organiser who will need to display the order 14 days in advance throughout the roads to be closed and during the road closure.
• Arrange for the relevant signage to be delivered to the organiser

Barriers and signage

If your application for a Town Police Clauses application has been accepted AVDC will provide barriers and signage.  Signs and barriers will be delivered to a specified address on a working day prior to the event and collected on a working day after the event. 

Police attendance and stewarding

The RC – SAG can postpone the approval of any application if they do not feel that the applicant has  given satisfactory evidence of signing and stewarding.

Anyone applying for a road closure should assume that the police will not be available to police any aspect of their road closure.

The event organiser has an obligation to adequately steward  the event but should be aware that only the police or someone under their direction can legally undertake traffic regulation on the public highway.

Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders

To apply for a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order you need to contact Bucks County Council on 01296 383397 or fax them on 01296 382702.

Where do I send my application?

By post:

Parking Services – Road Closures
PO Box 569
Aylesbury
Bucks
HP20 2ZW

By Email:

parkingservices@aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk

By Fax:

01296 585387

What if I am unsure which road closure I need to apply for?

If you are unsure of which road closure you need you can contact us on the number below.  Once you have given us all of the details we will be able to advise you on which type of road closure you need to apply for.

Date Updated: 05/03/08