East of England Permit Scheme
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Luton’s road network is a compact conurbation and one of the mostly densely populated urban areas within the South East with around 200,000 inhabitants. In some respects, it has far more in common with large inner city boroughs than the district councils that surround it. Luton has around 1600 roads and streets with a combined length of 450km, 3 railway stations and an international airport, the network also suffers significant severance from the M1 Motorway.
The scheme has been prepared to take into consideration the fundamentals of street and road works while delivering the statutory duties of the New Road and Street Works Act 1991 and the TMA 2004, recognising that the current level of control of road works under the New Roads and Street Works Act does not provide the measure of control required for efficient network management, the Council has recognised as well as the DFT that to permit all roads is the key answer to keep control of our network using the powers of the permitting scheme.
What is a Permit Scheme?
A permit scheme has the potential to improve management of all works on local road networks and significantly reduce unnecessary disruption to road users. Within a permit scheme, anyone carrying out works in the highway will legally need to apply to the Network Operations Team for permission, in advance of their works.
As an authority, we can choose to grant a permit, apply conditions to a granted permit or decline permission for them to work depending on the nature / location / disruption and timing’s of their works, and what is also on our network at the time.
Using these powers of the Scheme, not available under existing schemes, we can improve the management of all works on our network, that will intern reduce unnecessary disruption to road users, improving both journey times and their reliability.
The East of England Permit Scheme is designed to encourage and deliver improved planning and preparation for roadworks, ultimately leading to the key objectives that are to:
- ensure effective co-ordination
- ensure adherence to health and safety and CDM
- protect apparatus, assets and structures
- tackle congestion
- encourage good practice
- encourage collaboration
- provide better communication to all road users
- demonstrate parity for all works promoters
Measuring the performance of the scheme
We will be introducing ways to measure the benefits of the permit scheme; these measurements will assess the positive effect the scheme will have on Luton’s Network, specifically:
- journey times and reliability
- safety on the roads
- reduction in road works
If you have any questions in relation to The East of England Permit Scheme in Luton, please email: [email protected].
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