Use this page to learn about and apply for Traffic Regulation Orders. We issue Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO) to control or prohibit vehicular or pedestrian traffic along the highway. A TRO is the statutory legal document necessary to support any enforceable traffic or highway measure.
TROs are required for many restrictions, including:
- Waiting and loading
- One-way streets
- Speed limits
- Weight and width restrictions
- Access and turning restrictions
- Road and footway closures
- Cycle and bus lanes
- High occupancy vehicle lanes
A specific legal process is required to issue a TRO. Use the links below for more information.
After completing the design, we must consult with relevant stakeholders. This includes the emergency services, the Freight Transport Association, the Road Haulage Association, local councillors, parish councils (if applicable), and local public transport operators.
We may also consult local interest groups, such as residents, traders, and community groups likely to be affected by the proposals. The proposal can be amended based on the feedback received during the consultation.
We will then advertise the TRO. This includes at least one notice in the local press. We usually display notices in any affected roads and may deliver notices to premises likely to be affected. For at least 21 days from the start of the notice, the proposal can be viewed at a nominated council office during normal office hours.
Objections to the proposals must be made in writing to the address specified in the notice during this period. Objections are then reported to and considered by the Cabinet Member for Highways and the Director of Place Management who will decide whether to allow the scheme to proceed as advertised, modify the scheme or abandon it.
The TRO can then be formally sealed, provided all standing objections have been considered. Modifications to the proposals resulting from objections could require further consultation if considered substantial.
The procedure can take many months to complete, and the advertising and legal fees can be substantial. For this reason, schemes requiring a TRO normally need to be included in the annual Capital Programme and cannot be carried out on an ‘ad hoc’ basis.
TROs are mostly permanent legal documents. However:
- Temporary Orders (TTROs) may be used when works affecting the highway require short-term traffic restrictions.
- Urgency Orders may be used when works must be carried out immediately.
- Experimental Orders are used in situations that need monitoring and reviewing. These usually last no more than eighteen months before they are either abandoned, amended or made permanent.
To apply for a TRO, please contact our TRO team.