You can read Suffolk County Council's statement on our website.
![Councillor Peter Gould](/image-library/peter-gould-ws-hr-1.xb6cb8b20.jpg?width=470&height=256&fit=crop&quality=75&format=webp)
You can read Suffolk County Council's statement on our website.
An access protection marking (APM) is a single white line in front of a lowered kerb to allow vehicle access to driveways.
The purpose of the marking is to highlight the presence of a dropped kerb.
The markings are most effective when there are high volumes of people outside the immediate area parking for a short amount of time. Access protection markings show these people whether their parking is obstructive to a driveway.
Suffolk Highways and the police are not able to enforce access protection markings or be able to get a vehicle moved as they are advisory markings.
If you are the owner or occupier of premises in Ipswich, you can request the Civil Parking Enforcement team to enforce dropped kerbs outside your residential or business premises. Find more information from Ipswich Borough Council on reporting a parking problem.
The cost for new applications or requests to renew existing access protection markings is £110. You need to pay using a credit or debit card.
You will need to pay all costs, including ongoing maintenance, as there is no statutory requirement for Suffolk Highways to provide access protection markings.
We are unable to consider any requests for access protection markings until we receive a completed application form and payment.
If your application is successful, there will be a further charge of £160 to apply the marking. We are unable to order lining works until we receive this payment.
You must pay the £160 within 2 months of the date we confirm to you that your application has been successful.
If your application is not successful then you will not be refunded the £110 application fee.
You can apply for a new or renewal of an existing access protection marking if:
*If you want to request an access protection marking on housing association or private land, you should refer to the land owner. They would have to both approve and fund the marking.
We will not approve an access protection marking:
To apply for a new or request renewal of an existing access protection marking:
We will send you an acknowledgement confirming receipt of your application. This will also give you the reference number for your application which you will need to pay the £110 assessment fee.
we have received the assessment fee of £110. Assessment of the application will not begin until you pay the fee.
If you have not received an outcome within 8 weeks of the date that you paid the £110 application fee, you can contact us.
If we approve your application, you will have to pay a further charge of £160 to apply the marking - we will send you the reference number you need to make the online payment
We usually lay the new markings within 4 months of the date of receiving your payment of £160
However, if you choose to have the markings laid in advance of the planned works, you will be required to pay a further £160 to have the markings laid if they are covered by the planned works when they take place
If you need further help, you can contact us using webchat or by phone on 0345 606 6171.
When we receive your application, we will check that:
It will take us up to 8 weeks to assess your application and we will write to you with the outcome of our assessment.
If you have not received an outcome within 8 weeks of the date that you paid the £100 application fee, you can contact us. Use webchat, email customer.services@suffolk.gov.uk or call 0345 606 6171.
If we approve your application, you will have to pay a further charge of £150 to apply the marking - we will send you the reference number you need to make the online payment.
If you need help with this process, you can contact us either on webchat or by phone on 0345 606 6171.
We are unable to arrange for markings to be applied until we receive this payment. You must pay within 2 months of the date we confirm that your application has been approved.
We usually lay the new markings within 4 months of the date of receiving your payment of £150. However, as lines can only be effectively marked on warm dry surfaces, the date when the markings will be applied is weather dependent.
If Suffolk Highways is planning to undertake any work at the application address within the following 12 months, we will suggest that the markings should not be laid until that work takes place.
However, if you choose to have the markings laid in advance of the planned works, you will be required to pay a further £150 to have the markings laid if they are covered by the planned works when they take place.
Suffolk Highways accepts no responsibility for replacement of the marking should it become faded or covered by third party roadworks such as those carried out by utilities companies and you will be responsible for applying for the marking to be replaced and the application and marking charges.
Sometimes Suffolk Highways may not be able to provide a new or approve renewal of an existing access protection marking because of local planning or traffic considerations. This may be the case even if the application meets the criteria.
If your application is unsuccessful, we will outline the reason(s) why the application has not been agreed in writing.
We reserve the right to refuse to implement the marking where we do not think it is suitable or where it is suspected that it will cause tensions within communities. Similarly, we can remove the marking should it be shown to cause community tensions.
If you disagree with our decision, you can write to us setting out the reason(s) why you consider that we have not applied the criteria correctly.
You can do this by emailing vehiclepermits@suffolk.gov.uk or writing to:
Suffolk Highways, Safety & Speed Management Team, Phoenix House, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 5NPWe will review your application in light of the reason(s) you have put forward and we will write to you again following further consideration.