Temporary traffic restrictions for a street party

It is free to apply for a temporary traffic restriction for a street party and we will not charge for the legal services.

Other charges you might incur

You may have to pay for:

• other licences needed for your event (if they are required)
• the signs, cones and barriers required to close the road

Any restrictions on traffic and pedestrians which are introduced by anyone other than the Police or Highway Authority, without a Traffic Order, are liable to constitute an obstruction, which is a criminal offence.

Closing a road formally, requires the event organiser to take extra steps and responsibility. This is for your protection. If you are not familiar with the process or need assistance understanding how these conditions apply to you, please contact Dorset Council first, for advice and guidance.

Some or all of the following conditions apply, dependent on the individual circumstances and nature of the event to which the approval relates.

a. Application and licence (general)

1. A full and complete application with supporting documentation must be submitted with at least six weeks' notice.
2. Where at least six weeks' notice cannot be given, reduced application periods must be pre-approved by the council but the council reserves the right to decline any requests.
3. Any changes to the activity necessitating amendments to a licence are communicated to the council at the earliest opportunity.
4. Any changes to the activity necessitating the cancellation of an application are communicated to the council at the earliest opportunity (a refund may not be issued on any payments already made).
5. Any changes to the activity which leads to a material impact on the highway and road users, are communicated to the council at the earliest opportunity.
6. Contact details for administrative use and for use in the event of safety issues should be provided and manned at all times or at a minimum when activities are in progress.
7. Any additional terms and conditions for network management needs, agreed on a case-by-case basis with the applicant.
8. A licence can be rejected or revoked, at any time, and without notice:
   • where the council needs to exercise network management duties in the event of unforeseen emergency situations elsewhere on the network
   • should the council have evidence of breaches of conditions in isolation, or more wholesale systemic breaches of conditions over time, which have been warned for, but not addressed

b. Event (general)

1. Street parties will meet the following criteria:
   • is for people living in 1 or 2 cul-de-sacs or minor residential roads
   • is not advertised to the general public
   • usually has less than 150 people attending
   • has very minimal impact on through traffic
   • does not affect any bus routes or services
2. Emergency access to premises will be required during the party and contingency plans must be made to enable obstructions to be removed quickly.
3. Fires and fireworks are not permitted in the street, including on the footway or verge.
4. The event must not cause any undue disturbance to other residents, and events in the evening must conclude at a reasonable hour.
5. All litter and rubbish must be cleared, and any soiling of the street or street furniture cleaned immediately on completion of the event and before the road is re-opened.

c. General traffic management obligations and access during road closures

1. The organiser is responsible for supplying, installing, and maintaining all necessary signage and barriers to close the street in accordance with the Traffic Order. At a minimum, this includes Road Closed signs and clearly visible, appropriate barriers at each entry point to the street.
2. All marshals should be clearly identifiable (e.g. wearing high-visibility clothing) and must be positioned behind the closure points to assist with and monitor access for essential vehicles.
3. The road closure must be unmistakably clear to approaching motorists. All signage placed on the public highway must comply with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD) and be arranged in line with the Safety at Street Works and Road Works – A Code of Practice.
4. Access for pedestrians, including wheelchair users, mobility scooter users, and those with prams, must be maintained at all times throughout the closure.
5. For closures taking place after dark or once street lighting is activated, organisers must use appropriate reflective signage to ensure continued visibility.
6. The closure must not exceed the times specified in the Traffic Order and must be lifted as soon as it is safe and practical to do so once the event concludes.

d. Stakeholder engagement and advance warning

1. Contact must be made in advance of the event with people who might be affected by the restrictions; including residents, businesses and local services.
2. Evidence of the engagement exercise carried out, should be included with the licence application.
3. If there are any changes to proposals, engagement should reflect this, and stakeholders must be kept informed.
4. The council will supply the party organiser with copies of the Traffic Order describing the road closure permitted. Unless otherwise directed these must be erected in a clearly visible location, at least 7 days in advance of the event at each end of the road to be closed.

e. Insurances and costs

1. Promptly reimburse the council for any costs incurred arising from any claims made.
2. The council accepts no liability for any claims or loss, damage, injury, or death arising from the event or the road closure.
3. Street parties involving only friends and neighbours come minimal risk and public liability insurance is not essential, but recommended.

f. Privacy policy

1. Personal data and contact details contained within an application, will be used by Dorset Council in accordance with our privacy notice.
2. If you do not consent to our use of personal data, then we may not be able to fulfil requests.

Timescales

Complete applications must be received at least six weeks before the proposed licence start date.

Independent advice

streetparty.org.uk is a volunteer-run website which gives tips about private residents’ events in small streets.

Contact people and businesses affected by road closures

You must contact people who might be affected by temporary traffic restrictions for your street party. This could be residents of the street, businesses and local services. 

You need to include the completed engagement document when you apply for a road closure.

Download an engagement exercise document.

Important notes for engagement:

• not all stakeholders listed in the document will be affected by all restrictions. You can mark them as not applicable (n/a) if this is the case
• if you get any adverse comments about the road closure or restrictions, you will need to resolve these yourself.
• contact us if you'd like advice on engaging with stakeholders

Please contact trafficteam@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk if you require the document in an alternative format.

Arrange for approved signing and traffic management

You’ll need to provide, set up, and look after the necessary barriers and signs. At a minimum, this includes clear Road Closed signs and suitable, easy-to-see barriers at every entry point to the street covered by the Traffic Order.

You will need to contact a traffic management company to handle all the signage setup. While we can’t recommend a specific provider, a quick online search for “traffic management companies in Dorset” should give you a good starting point.

Check if other events are taking place in your area

Before you apply for a temporary traffic restriction for your street party, check our planned roadworks and events map to make sure there are no other events planned in your area.

If there are too many events at the same time, it can cause disruption and we may not be able to approve your application.

Check if you need other permissions

You need to apply for any other licences separately, even if we agree to a temporary traffic restriction for your street party. For example:

• you may need a temporary event notice (TEN) if you want to serve or sell alcohol, or provide food, drink or entertainment after 11pm
• you must also inform the council if you want to erect bunting, decorative flags, or decorative lighting over the public highway for your event

Consider safety and insurance

You could consider:

• public liability insurance
• a risk assessment

This is not a mandatory requirement for your application, but we do recommend it.

Closing a road formally, requires the event organiser to take extra steps and responsibility. This is for your protection. If you are not familiar with the process or need assistance understanding how these requirements apply to you, please contact Dorset Council first, for advice and guidance.

It should take no more than 10 minutes to submit an application.

When you apply, you will need to provide licence details, details of the restrictions to be introduced and supporting documents - including:

• a valid email address which will be used for correspondence, and the address to which the licence approval will be sent
• the timings and dates when the restrictions will be in force
• an advertising number which will be used for public notices and enquiries (this must be available 24/7 or at least when restrictions are in force)
• illustrative plans which clearly indicate the extent of road subject to restrictions
• the completed engagement document described in the previous section

Closing a road formally, requires the event organiser to take extra steps and responsibility. This is for your protection. If you are not familiar with the process or need assistance understanding how these requirements apply to you, please contact Dorset Council first, for advice and guidance.

Apply now

You will receive an automated acknowledgement by email usually within 30 minutes. Please make note of the reference number provided which should be used in all correspondence related to the licence.

We aim to process all complete applications within 4 weeks.

If anything changes

If you need to update your application, your licence or cancel it altogether, at any time, you must let us know. Your acknowledgement email will tell you how to do this.

Keeping you informed of progress

You will receive email updates as your application progresses through different stages of assessment.