Play Street sessions/activities are facilitated via a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO) under Section 16a of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.
Costs
The council will process the application free of charge.
Dates/Times/Occurrences
It is recommended that Play Streets take place during daylight hours. The maximum duration of a Play Street is 3 hours, with a frequency of no more than once a week in any single street.
Applicants must agree to all terms and conditions on the Play Street application form.
Play Street applications are processed in batches 4 times a year. Completed applications for Play Streets should be received at least 12 weeks before the proposed date of the first Play Street session.
The relevant road(s) may only be closed on the dates and at the times specified in the Order.
Traffic Management Order
You will need a Traffic Management order (TMO) for a Play Street if your application is successful. The council will apply for this on your behalf.
Most residential streets are suitable for Play Streets however some might not be.
We cannot guarantee that an Order will be made and can only approve applications providing the following applies:
- There is no planned highway or footway maintenance at specified location(s) on the proposed sessions/activities dates/times.
- There is no other planned event on the on the proposed sessions/activities dates/times.
- There is no significant effect on vehicular access and/or movement on surrounding roads.
- There are no other activities that require traffic management.
- The street is not designated Traffic Sensitive or a bus route.
- The Order is made entirely for the purposes of facilitating children's play and does not involve the placement of any structure on the highway during that use.
- No activity requiring any form of permission under the Licensing Act 2003 may be undertaken when this Order is in force.
Any vehicles wishing to gain access to the closed section of the road should be restricted to a walking speed limit and be guided by a steward.
The council reserves the right to revoke any Order made if the closures are not implemented in accordance with all of the requirements specified in this document or the activities are not managed in a safe manner.
Talk to your neighbours
The applicant must seek the views of all affected residents by delivering a consultation letter to each property. The results of the consultation must be recorded on our resident support and objections petition template and uploaded to your application.
We shall have regard to all responses received however we will only consider ‘material’ objections that may be raised regarding any proposed ‘Street Play’ sessions/activities. Applications will only be refused where there is a legitimate concern.
We will not consider any material objection based solely on disagreement with the general principle of ‘Street Play’, as the council believes that participation in play, physical activity, leisure and sport can be truly transformative, inclusive and inherently positive. Although some types of behaviour can be annoying, children, young people and/or families playing in the street and/or communal areas is not in itself antisocial.
Supervision
Each closure must be supervised and maintained at all times by responsible and clearly identifiable adults wearing high visibility vests, and each point of closure must be marshalled throughout the period of the Play Street.
Any vehicles wishing to gain access to the closed section of road will be restricted to a walked through 5mph speed limit.
We will provide you with road closure signs and high visibility vests to put up and wear on the day.
Traffic signs
The lead applicant is responsible for the installation of signs, these signs must include a ROAD CLOSED sign (as prescribed in the Traffic Signs Manual - Chapter 8, Table 5.10 (Hazard signing) and a physical barrier at each point of closure, and any appropriate diversions signs.
Access requirements
Access must be provided for residents, businesses, pedestrians, and emergency services during any closure period and any barriers erected during the closures must be removed immediately to enable access to such users.
Any vehicles wishing to gain access to the closed section of road will be restricted to a walked speed and be guided by a steward once the carriageway is clear of children playing.
On-street parking will not be refused or restricted during the play street event.
The layout should be such that a clear route along the road could readily be made available for the passage of emergency vehicles.
Fire hydrants and hydrant marker posts should be kept clear of obstruction.
Public liability insurance
It is strongly recommended that the lead applicant obtains public liability insurance from a reputable insurer for the period of the road closures.
Public liability insurance does not affect the statutory obligations and liabilities of the council in respect of managing the public highway or highway network. The applicant is expected to have regard to their risk assessment in determining whether public liability insurance is a suitable control measure.
You must pay to the council the full cost of any damage to the highway or street furniture or other loss or damage suffered by it and of any claims made against it as a result of the making of the Order and which arise from your negligence or (if you represent an organisation) the negligence of your organisation’s members or officers.
Insurance/Indemnity
Under no circumstances will the council be held liable for any injury, loss or damage arising from the organisation of a Play Street session.
Any claims made against the council with regard to damage or injuries caused by Play Street sessions will be passed on to the relevant organiser(s).
Play Street organisers should be aware that there may be circumstances in which they could be held liable for any accidents.
The council encourages everyone involved to be sensible and respectful about other people and their property.
Clean up afterwards
You will need to clean up after your Play Street ensuring that it is returned to the condition that obtained prior to closure. This must be done before the road is reopened.
Let people know in advance what time the Play Street will finish and have a section set aside for bin bags and recycling. Take your rubbish and recycling home. Please do not leave bin bags on the streets as this may attract foxes and vermin.