When special events require the road to be closed off to general traffic a temporary road closure will be required which can only be granted with the written agreement of the Police.
If you wish to hold an event on the public highway (a marathon or a procession for example) you must also have the approval of the Highway Authority and should contact the Traffic Co-ordinator, who will consider your request.
Such closures require a Traffic Regulation Order. Each TRO costs £1600 to make and advertise. Statutory consultation with the Emergency Services must be carried out. All cost involved for both the closure and diversion signing will have to be borne by the event organiser. At least eight to ten weeks notice is required and for some events up to three months will be needed in order to organise them properly. Large events may require even longer!
Where a Traffic Regulation Order restricts the use of a road, route or area to certain vehicles, the signing of a recommended alternative route will need to be considered. This is usually done in conjunction with the Traffic Co-ordinator, the Emergency Services and the Bus Operators.
Usually roads which are closed for sporting events can only be closed once a year without the consent of The Secretary of State.
Demonstrations cannot be dealt with by the Council and for these events the Police must be contacted so that they can make the appropriate arrangements.
FAQ
How much notice do I need to give the Council (or TfL, on a Red Route) to get a road closure?
You would need to contact the Council between eight and 12 weeks before you need the road closure. We will begin the process of drawing up the necessary Traffic Regulation Order and advertising it as soon as we have received your payment of £1600 (see above). Remember that this process takes a minimum of six weeks.
For events on Red Routes please contact:
Transport for London
Senior Engineer for Lewisham
Street Management
Windsor House
42 – 50 Victoria Street
London SW1H 0TL
Tel: 020 7941 7333