Herefordshire Council (HC) recognises that well managed and safe events can bring significant benefits to local communities. An event, from very small through to very large, whether it takes place on the highway or off the highway, or in an adjoining premises or field, can have an effect upon the highway.
Planning your event - impact assessment
Once you have decided to hold an event, and identified a venue, you need to consider its potential impact on the local community and on the immediate and surrounding road network. You will need to think about how people are likely to get to the event and, once they arrive, how you will deal with your visitors and their vehicles, or other methods of transport (see traffic management plan section for further guidance).
Impact on residents and local businesses
Events should be timed to avoid clashing with peak traffic times wherever possible, and should be planned to minimise the impact on access for residents, businesses and services. Event organisers should discuss their plans with local representatives and businesses to ensure that the local community is aware of the event and that any concerns they may have are addressed.
Impact upon trunk roads and motorways
Trunk roads and motorways come under the remit of Highways England. Within Herefordshire, this is the A49, the M50 and A40/A449 dual carriageway by Ross on Wye. Event organisers should consult with Highways England where the planned event is on or near one of these roads or their junctions.
Demonstrations
Demonstrations are dealt with by the police rather than the Council. West Mercia Police must be contacted so that they can make the appropriate arrangements.
Planning your event - event management plan
It is the responsibility of the event organiser to consider the overall management of the event. All event organisers should develop an Event Management Plan. This document will cover all aspects of the event including organisers, health and safety, risk assessments, and processes and procedures, for example. For a small event the event management plan may consist of only two or three pages, for a large event it could run to well over 100 pages.
Note: it is recommended that all events that are taking place upon the public highway should have public liability insurance for a minimum of £5 million.
Planning your event - traffic management plan
Events with a larger impact upon the highway may warrant having a traffic management plan as an appendix to the main event management plan. This will cover all highway aspects for the event.
If the event requires closing the road to traffic, then a temporary traffic regulation order (TTRO) is required from Herefordshire Council. Some events may require other TTRO’s such as a reduction in the speed limit, one-way traffic orders or parking restrictions. If a TTRO is required then you should consult Hereford City Council, or your local town or Parish Council and advise of their views when you submit your application.
Access and egress
The way in and out of the event site should be clearly signed and designated. You will need to consider how vehicles will move and turn.
Access to the site must be free and uninterrupted in order to avoid traffic congestion. If entry to the event is by payment or ticket, then there must be sufficient space within the site so that waiting vehicles are off the road. Ideally, visitors should be able to park their vehicles before the ticket point.
There will need to be sufficient space within the site to provide enough parking for the expected number of vehicles.
If parking facilities and the main event site are on opposite sides of the road, then consideration must be given to people crossing the road and their safety.
Weather considerations
Organisers should prepare and plan for adverse weather. This can often have an impact on the event and significantly worsen the impact on local traffic.
Wet weather is likely to impact visitors accessing and egressing the event from and to the highway. It can significantly reduce the rate at which vehicles can leave the highway to enter the event, leading to congestion on the highway. Vehicles rates egressing onto the highway can also be significantly slowed, albeit this has less impact upon the highway as waiting vehicles are contained within the site.
If wet weather is likely, vehicles accessing the highway from your event site can cause mud to be deposited. Organisers should arrange to have equipment available to clean the public highway as necessary. Other measures can also be used to prevent mud being dragged out onto the highway, such as matting or a hard standing at the access points
The Wider Picture
As an organiser, you must also consider traffic and any impact upon the road network beyond your event site. For example, a main road junction nearby may be affected by traffic turning movements.
Visitors coming by public transport
Herefordshire is a rural county and for many events it is not practical to use public transport. However, when this can be utilised, pick up points for buses or taxis need to be considered. Events in Hereford City and the Market Towns If your event is to be held within Hereford City or any of the market towns, it may be an option for visitors to use public car parking and then be directed to the event location on foot. Additional off-site parking can also be considered with the visitors walking to the event orusing a park-and-ride facility.
Traffic control and signing at events
The public have no lawful powers to direct traffic on a highway, although once on the event site, this can be done as an implied condition of entry. Directing or controlling traffic on the highway can be achieved by the use of signs, and most events will require signage of some sort, whether to advise of road closures and diversion routes, to provide directions to the event, or to help minimise traffic disruption.
The test for any signing scheme is – do the travelling public have the information they need in the right place to enable them to make their journey safely, without undertaking any dangerous manoeuvres risking themselves or others?
Signs used as part of a closure and a diversion route will need to be authorised. Advance signage should also be considered so that motorists can plan alternative routes. Such signs should include only the key information and be set up no more than one week before the event.
The event organiser is responsible for procuring the appropriate signs and employing appropriately trained staff to set out, maintain and remove the signage.
Please note that signs must not be attached to lamp columns.
In summary, the event organiser must consider:
- the location of each sign, with location specific information.
- type of each sign (road closed/diversion route etc.).
- time/date of placement/removal.
- sequence of placement/removal.
- maintenance and checking of signage whilst it is out.
- competency details of persons placing, maintaining and removing the signage.
Traffic lights
If there are a large number of people attending an event, and they will be entering and departing from more than one direction, then traffic lights may be needed. Permission is required by law to place traffic lights on the highway. The application needs to be submitted a minimum of 10 working days prior to the event. However, you are advised to contact us to let us know your intentions as soon as possible. If there are already other lights booked in the vicinity, your application may not be approved.
Traffic lights can only be placed on the highway by people with the appropriate traffic management qualifications. As such, if traffic lights are required, it may be advisable to use a traffic management company to assist with this aspect of the event. The event organiser is responsible for all costs associated with the use of traffic lights on the highway.
Application to use traffic lights
There is a charge for processing your application of £50. With your application you will need to submit a traffic management plan showing the proposed layout of the traffic lights and signage. If you are using a traffic management company they can usually deal with this aspect for you.
Road Closures, and other Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders (TTRO)
A road closure causes disruption to drivers, pedestrians, residents and businesses, and should only be considered if absolutely necessary. Closing a public road, footway, footpath or verge without a lawful closure order is illegal. A road closure order will need to be made if it is necessary to prevent traffic flow, even if only for a very short duration to facilitate the event.
For a road closure, an application needs to be submitted a minimum of six weeks before the event. For any other form of TTRO, such as a speed restriction or parking restriction, three months’ notice is required. However, you are advised to contact us to let us know of your intentions to submit an application as early as possible.
If an event cannot run without a road closure, then event organisers should consider the following at the early stages of planning:
- Have you consulted with Hereford City or your Local Town or Parish Council?
- Have you applied for and received permission for the closure?
- Have you consulted with local residents/businesses/organisations or local disability groups about the closure?
- Have you consulted with local passenger transport operators/bus companies as their services may be affected by the closure.
- Are there plans in place to allow residents/business access to their properties?
- Does the event affect refuse collection day? If yes, you will need to contact the waste management section at Herefordshire Council.
- Do you have the resources to procure and maintain the signs needed?
- Are your staff/volunteers competent and trained to place, maintain and remove signage?
- What are the options for diversion routes?
- Are there any motorways or trunk roads that might be affected? If so, contact Highways England.
- Have you made any contingency plans for emergency access to your event, for example to attend an accident?
There is a charge made for processing a legal order to close a road. This charge covers the administrative costs incurred in preparing the order. The organiser also must meet any costs involved with carrying out the closure of the road such as providing and erecting signs and arranging diversions.
Public notice of road closure
As part of the legal process to close the road, a public notice has to be displayed in the vicinity of the road closure at least five days before the event. This should be, as a minimum, at either end of the closure.
Once the legal order has been drawn up you will be forwarded a copy of the notice 7 - 10 days prior to the event. This needs to be displayed by the event organiser and removed after the event.
Advance information boards for road closures
If a road is being closed and the closure is likely to have a significant impact upon drivers, businesses and local people, then it is often advisable to put out some information boards 5 to 7 days prior to the event. These boards give advance notice that the road is going to be closed on a certain day and help regular road users plan an alternative route.
Apply for a temporary road closure
The charge for TTRO's
In line with the Council’s commitment to prioritise those services most important to residents, charges are levied to cover the costs of preparing a TTRO for an event. These TTROs include road closures, speed restrictions, one way traffic orders and parking restrictions. From 1 June 2016 charges have been set as follows:
| TTROs for events for large scale events, commercial events or events where there is a direct commercial interest. Significant community/charitable events where participants (public, stallholders, concessions, etc.) are being charged a fee. Where advertising is required, these will be charged at cost in addition to the stated fee. This would cover events such as the Hereford May Fair, Professional cycle races, Three Choirs Festival, etc. |
£250 |
|
Small-scale community / charitable events where participants (public, stallholders, concessions, etc.) are being charged a fee. Where advertising is required, these will be charged at cost in addition to the stated fee. This would cover events such as Christmas lights switch-Ons, Leominster medieval pageant, Bromyard Folk Festival, Ledbury Boxing Day Hunt, etc. |
£125 |
| Civic / community celebrations and parades with no commercial interest, e.g Remembrance day parades, local street parties etc | £0 |
These TTROs are normally be for a duration of 1 day or less.
Most TTROs can be prepared without the need for formal adverts to be placed in the public press. Occasionally, especially with larger events, these may be necessary. If this is the case, the cost of the advertising will be charged on top of the above fee
Planning your event - other guidance
Banners
Banners cannot be placed over the highway without consent from the highway authority. Please see the separate guidance notes on banners.
Promotional Signage
Signage on the highway is not normally permitted. However, there may be occasions when HC will tolerate some signage. Organisers must contact to discuss any proposals for promotional signage. All promotional signage, regardless of where it is sited, should be removed after the event.
Licences
For an event where fewer than 500 people will attend, but there will be the provision of live or recorded music, dancing, or the provision of hot food or alcohol, then a Temporary Event Notice may be required. For further details please contact the Licensing Section at Herefordshire Council.
For an event where more than 500 people will attend, as above, then a Premises Licence may be required. For further details please contact the Licensing Section at Herefordshire Council.
Safety Advisory Group (SAG)
This group provides a forum for discussing and advising on public safety at an event. The members aim to help organisers with the planning and management of an event and to encourage cooperation and coordination between all relevant agencies. This includes HC and the emergency services.
The SAG can be contacted via the licensing section at Herefordshire Council.
Cycle events - additional information
Organised cycle rides, sportives and events bring significant social, health and other benefits. When planning a route for the ride, it is always advisable for any turns at junctions to be to the left. This avoids participants having to cross the oncoming traffic. Consideration can be given to the placement of marshals at any strategic points to direct the participants on the correct route.
Cycling road races and time trials are governed by specific regulations and must be notified to, and may require permission from West Mercia Police.
Running and walking events - additional information
Where at all possible this type of event should be planned to take place off the highway or touse pavements. Where this is not possible then specific consideration needs to be given to the safety of participants and other road users.
Useful sources of further information and guidance
Licensing Section: 01432 261761, email: licensing@Herefordshire.gov.uk
For further advice and guidance on the highway aspects of your event contact: Licencing and Enforcement Team, Unit 3, Thorn Business Park, Rotherwas, Hereford, HR2 6JT
Phone: 01432 261800
Checklist and timescales - traffic aspect
| Timescale | Checklist |
| As far in advance as possible | Consider traffic management requirements for event including both the public highway and anything required within the event site.Draw up draft traffic management plan/event management plan and risk assessments. |
| As far in advance as possible | Advise of the event. Refine traffic management plan/event management plan and risk assessments |
| 3 months prior to the event | Apply for TTRO for speed restrictions, one way traffic orders, parking restrictions. Make arrangements for traffic management or signage. |
| 6 weeks prior to the event | Apply for TTRO for road closure. |
| 2 weeks prior to the event | Ensure traffic light permit is applied for – if required. |
| 5 to 7 days prior to the event | Erect notices with respect to any TTRO Install advisory event signs – where necessary Finalise arrangements for any traffic management or signage. |
| On the day | Traffic management to be put in place, monitored and maintained whilst out and removed after the event has completely finished. |
| After the event | Make sure the area is clean and tidy, including litter having been removed. Remove notices with respect to any TTRO. |