Traffic Regulation Orders Stage Section

Stage 1 - Informal consultation

Proposals to address an issue at a given location are drawn up. As part of this process, the required statutory consultees, such as emergency services and other relevant organisations, are consulted.

Depending on the nature and scale of the scheme, this stage may also include an informal consultation exercise, where draft proposals and supporting information (such as plans showing the proposed controls) are shared with local residents and businesses to gather feedback.

Where informal consultation is undertaken, responses are considered and may inform changes to the proposals before the formal consultation stage. Public consultations are published on our consultation hub, where responses can be submitted. We also accept feedback by email or by letter.

Stage 2 - Formal consultation

Where an informal consultation has taken place, all responses are reviewed. Sometimes the responses show an overall level of support or opposition to the proposal(s). Most often there are conflicting responses and we need to find a balance to differing needs. The original proposals may be adjusted following consideration of the responses, or new proposals may be made or withdrawn.

When the final proposals and a draft Traffic Regulation Order are prepared, they must go through another round of consultation, called formal consultation. For this the proposals are advertised:

  • on street lampposts
  • in a local newspaper
  • by delivering information postcards to local residents and businesses, and,
  • on our consultation hub

Any response to the proposals must be made in writing, either through the consultation hub, by email, or by letter.  The response should set out clearly the reasons for supporting or opposing the measures contained in the TRO.

Stage 3 - Planning Committee

All responses and objections have to be considered. We contact the objectors to explain why the changes are being proposed and to see if their objection can be resolved.

Any objections that are not withdrawn are presented to the Planning Committee. All respondents will be written to and, in accordance with our procedure for speaking at Planning Committee, have the opportunity to attend the committee meeting to give their views before any decision is made.

The committee will consider each objection and recommend whether to uphold it or not. Where a number of objectors have raised the same matters, these will be considered together. We contact all of the respondents after the meeting to let them know of the committee’s decision.

Find out more about the Planning Committee, including how to attend upcoming meetings, how to view webcasts of meetings, and how to browse meetings and agendas.

Stage 4 - Implementation

Before approved changes or new controls can be installed, detailed signs and lines works orders need to be prepared. This tells our contractors exactly what needs to be installed on the street and where. It is important that this is done accurately so that the controls installed are legal and enforceable. This stage is weather dependent as lining work can only be carried out in dry weather. Once all the work has been completed the new Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) can be sealed and the new controls will be legally enforceable.