Suggest long-term changes to the highway

Use this page to tell us about places where you think we should consider making a long-term change to the highway. It contains information about the types of issues and suggestions we can consider, how to prepare and submit your report, and some of the solutions we may provide, to make your journey safer and more convenient.

Changes may include a persistent safety problem that you have noticed on a road or pavement, a bottleneck where traffic seems to build up, or parking arrangements which cause a local issue. Or it might be necessary to update road markings or add new signage, because of a change in how people are using the highway, such as the building of new housing or the opening of a business.

Warning This service is NOT for telling us about immediate dangers, such as fallen branches in the road, or routine repair and maintenance issues, such as potholes and road surfacing. For these types of reports, please use our Fix My Street service.

How we handle suggested changes

We recommend reading about what we will do once we receive a report, before submitting your own suggestion for a highways change, as this may affect how you prepare for and make your report. Please select a topic below, to find out more. 

Timescale

A lot of the requests and suggestions we receive are to address a specific traffic or parking issue, or to deal with a road safety concern. To ensure we only take forward requests and suggestions which have feasible and affordable solutions, we will first carry out an informal assessment of each one.

We aim to respond to you after this initial assessment has been carried out within 20 working days. It can sometimes be longer than this depending on the nature of the request or suggestion, and whether a site visit is required, for example.

How we will assess the issue

To help us with the informal assessment of your request or suggestion, we recommend you identify the issue of concern, rather than suggest a potential solution. There can quite often be more than one solution to a particular issue, with some solutions being more cost effective or deliverable than others.

We also ask that you provide as much evidence as possible to support your request or suggestion.

You can upload supporting documents (such as, maps, sketches, and photographs) when you submit your report (see the ‘Provide evidence’ section).

Our Traffic Management team will take one of four potential courses of action:

• If something is considered not feasible or unlikely to have an appropriate or cost-effective solution, no further action will be taken, and the case will be closed
• If there is a potential solution which is considered to have some merit and could be feasible and affordable, it will be added to a list of requests or suggestions which will receive further consideration (see below for further details)
• Carry out further investigation (usually a site visit or meeting) - subject to our findings, no further action will be taken, or if there is a potential solution which is considered to have some merit and could be feasible and affordable, it will be added to a list of requests or suggestions which will receive further consideration (see below for further details)
• A minor intervention or measures - added to our Minor Works Programme to be progressed when funding or resources permit

In some instances, we also have to consider the wider impact of dealing with a particular issue. For example, the displacement of traffic to another route, increased noise and vibration, reduced air quality, and displaced parking.

Our Traffic Management Team are highly experienced in assessing requests and suggestions for measures to address traffic issues or improve road safety and so on. They will also work with colleagues with specialist knowledge in parking, traffic signals, street lighting, drainage, and maintenance, if needed.

Our decision

If we consider your request or suggestion to have a feasible and cost-effective solution, it will be added to a list of traffic management schemes and measures. These will be formally assessed for possible inclusion in future Transport Improvement Programme (TIP), which is reviewed annually.

Scheme Assessment and Prioritisation (SAP)

We need to ensure that the limited funding available for highway improvement schemes and road safety measures is directed towards the locations which are most in need of attention. In order to do this, a Scheme Assessment and Prioritisation (SAP) process has been developed which enables us (the council) to identify our priority locations.

The SAP process is carried out annually (usually during November) by suitably qualified and experienced traffic management engineers, based on their knowledge of the location in question, the road network in general, and other factors (for example, its proximity to schools and shops).

Each request or suggestion is categorised based on its function and where it is proposed. For example, a pedestrian crossing facility in an urban area, or a traffic management measure in a rural environment.

Each request or suggestion is assessed and scored on specified factors and characteristics, and then awarded an overall score. This overall score is then compared with others on the SAP list to create a list of priority schemes.

The highest priority schemes are recommended for inclusion in the next TIP - this recommendation does not guarantee a schemes inclusion in the TIP, as the available budget may change. The TIP is normally approved in April each year.

The locations which are not successfully included in the TIP remain on the SAP list for future consideration.

Costs and charges

Highway improvement and road safety measures must be prioritised and included in the annual Transport Improvement Programme (TIP) before anything can be progressed. However, the funding available for schemes in the TIP is limited.

The table below shows the typical cost of some common measures, along with a brief description of the positive and negative impacts that they can have.

Table of items (eg: pedestrian crossing vs central refuge; photo and brief function description for each item)

Where you are requesting a change or new facility to benefit an individual or a business, we may make a charge for this service. Typical examples are below.

Table of chargeable items, such as advisory keep clear road markings and tourist signs.

How to make your report

Follow the process below to find out what's involved in researching and submitting your suggestion.

1. Step 1:

   This service is for reporting issues which you feel would improve with long-term or permanent changes to the highway. The reasons you may want a change could include concerns about safety, convenience, access, traffic volume or speed, or a personal or business aim.

   Changes that we decide to make could include adding, removing or altering any of the following: 

   • Traffic signs, or other traffic management devices
   • Road markings, including parking restrictions
   • Barriers or bollards
   • Traffic calming measures
   • Speed limits
   • Access restrictions
   • Pedestrian facilities

   We use separate services to deal with some types of highways changes. Please select a link below, if you need to request any of the following:

   • Advisory disabled parking spaces
   • Dropped kerbs
   • Standard repair and maintenance

   If you want to report a temporary problem, or a long-term maintenance issue, please use our Fix My Street service.

2. Step 2:

   It's important to consider the situation and the impact it may have on different groups of people. For example: 

   • People living in the area
   • People travelling through the area
   • Businesses and their customers
   • Particular groups, such as children, elderly people or those with disabilities

   Think about the possible impact of a change in traffic or parking management. Is there anyone who might object to the changes you'd like? Why?

3. Step 3:

   We need to understand the detail of the issue, to make a decision on whether or how to act on your report. To help us to do this, you will have an opportunity to upload evidence documents when you make your report. This could include the following:

   • Photographs, sketches or an annotated map of the location 
   • Photographs or sketches of the problem, or any suggested solution that you have
   • Counts of vehicles coming through within a set time (if appropriate)
   • A journal record of the number of times there has been an incident, or 'near miss' (if appropriate)
   • Any emails, correspondence, local discussions or reports related to the problem

   You might want to find out whether there is strong community feeling about this issue, before deciding how involved you would like to be in any campaign for change. The following are easy ways of checking how others feel, or mobilising support

   • Have informal conversations with neighbours
   • Discuss the issue in local groups or on social media
   • Raise a point at a parish council meeting
   • If you feel there is a lot of local support, you might even start a petition

   You may prefer your ward councillor to take up the issue on your behalf. Find a councillor online

   Warning You CANNOT use this service to report the dangerous or antisocial behaviour of a particular person or vehicle. If you think a crime has been committed, please contact the police.

4. Step 4:

   Use our online form to submit your report.