Apply for a temporary road closure or other restriction for an event

Civic Events

A civic event is defined as an event attended by one or more of the following:

• A member of the Royal Family
• The Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk
• The High Sheriff of Suffolk
• The Chairman of Suffolk County Council

Suffolk County Council also recognises Acts of Remembrance (Remembrance Parades) as civic events where these are organised by a district or borough councils and attended the Royal British Legion.

Fees and Support

For recognised civic events, Suffolk County Council will:

• Waive the administrative fees, including the Event Application Fee and Highway Restriction Fee; and
• Consider contributing towards traffic management costs to support the event.*

*Any contribution towards traffic management is capped and is only available where the event organiser chooses traffic management services provided by Suffolk Highways. The contribution will not apply if an alternative traffic management supplier is used. Please contact Network Assurance for further information.

Charity Events

A charity event is an event organised by a registered charity. A valid charity number will be required at the application stage.

If you are unsure of your charity number, you can search the charity register on GOV.UK.

Fees

For recognised charity events, Suffolk County Council will waive the administrative fees, including the Event Application Fee and Highway Restriction Fee.

However, the event organiser remains responsible for all other costs associated with holding the event safely on the highway, such as traffic management.

Additional Information

• Suffolk County Council may require evidence of appropriate public liability insurance and relevant qualifications.
• Suffolk County Council cannot recommend specific traffic management suppliers; however, there are many local suppliers operating within Suffolk and the surrounding areas.

Please note: Events that raise money for charity but that are not organised directly by a registered charity will be classified as other events by Suffolk County Council.

If your event does nor fall within the category of Civic Events or Events organised by a registered charity, it will be classed as Other event. Other events classed by Suffolk County Council include (but are not limited to):

• Carnivals
• Fayres/Fairs
• Festivals
• Concerts

The fee payable for an event depends on its impact on the highway.

Event Impact Assessment

Other events are assessed using the Event Impact Matrix (see table below), which is used to determine the Event Impact Score. This score falls within a defined range, which determines the applicable Event Application Fee.

The Event Impact Score is based on:

• Event size (estimated attendance)
• Number of highway restrictions (e.g. road closures)
• Duration of highway restrictions

The Event Impact Score is calculated as follows:

Event Size Score + Number of Highway Restrictions Score + Duration of Highway Restriction Score = Event Impact Score

The resulting score falls within a defined range, which determines:

• the applicable Event Application Fee; and
• whether a Highway Restriction Fee applies.

Further information can be found in the section titled Paying the Fee.

Event Impact Matrix

The table below is used to calculate the Event Impact Score.

* The duration of a highway restriction is calculated from the time the first restriction commences to the time the final restriction ends. For example, if Road A closes at 9:00am and reopens at 12:00pm, and Road B closes at 10:00am and reopens at 1:00pm, the total duration would be 9:00am to 1:00pm (4 hours).

Highway Restrictions

Highway restrictions may include (but are not limited to):

• Temporary road closures
• Temporary implementation or suspension of one-way restrictions
• Banned turns or prohibitions of entry
• Temporary speed limits
• Temporary weight, width, or waiting restrictions

Event application and Highway Restriction Fees

The table below outlines the fees associated with processing highway event applications, based on the Event Impact Score.

Example

An event with:

• 4000 attendees
• 3 road closures and 1 suspension of a one-way system (5 restrictions)
• A duration of 14 hours

would be assessed as follows:

• Event Size Score: 2
• Number of Highway Restrictions Score: 2
• Duration of Highway Restriction Score: 2

Event Impact Score: 6

Fee Payable

• Event application: £300
• Highway restriction: £750

Total Fee: £1,050

Important

• The applicant is responsible for paying the applicable Event Application Fee and, where relevant, the Highway Restriction Fee.

• The applicant is also responsible for any additional costs associated with holding the event safely on the highway (e.g. traffic management or traffic control).

• Suffolk County Council may require confirmation of appropriate public liability insurance and relevant qualifications.

• Suffolk County Council cannot recommend specific traffic management suppliers; however, there are many local suppliers operating within Suffolk and the surrounding areas.

Planning Your Event

Before submitting your application, please check whether your event may clash with other events or roadworks on the Suffolk Highway Network by visiting the roadworks in Suffolk webpage. If there is a conflict, you may need to reconsider your event date.

You will also need to:

• Liaise with anyone affected by your event in advance, including residents, businesses, local councils, and emergency services, so they have the opportunity to raise concerns or objections.
• Have a plan to resolve any issues that arise from these discussions.
• Create a map showing the proposed closure and diversion route.
• Confirm your traffic management provider.

Resources to Support Your Application

• Create a map of where your event will be
• Visit the Traveline website
• View the roadworks in Suffolk webpage

Once you have completed the application form, email it to: na.applications@suffolk.gov.uk

Once your application is approved, we will complete your Event Order and send it to you via the email address provided.

Important:

• If the road closure is to remain in force for more than 3 days, or if the road has already been closed for an event within the last 12 months, we are required to seek approval from the Secretary of State. This process can take up to 4 weeks from the date we submit the application.
• Obstructing the public highway without lawful authority or excuse is a criminal offence.

Managing traffic at your event

To enforce a road closure, you will need appropriately accredited marshals to direct traffic around your event.

Paying Your Event Fees

If your application is successful, you will receive a payment request email detailing the total fee payable and instructions on how to make payment.

Card Payment: Make your payment online using the reference provided, please click on Pay online for an event below.

Other Payment Methods

BACS / Bank Transfer

Please note: We no longer accept cheques for event application payments.

You do not need to notify Suffolk County Council if your event does not affect the highway. However, you may still need to contact your local borough or district council if you plan to provide entertainment or serve food or alcohol.