Permits to drive down a lane / road???
Permits to drive down a lane / road???
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W12GT

Original Poster:

4,158 posts

241 months

Thursday 30th January
quotequote all
Whilst out on travels, noticed the following sign, never seen anything like this before. In brief you have to get a permit to use a road - it’s a highways road that has always been open to use by anyone, nothing particularly special about it except it has lots of potholes. Has anyone ever seen this before? Interested in the legality of it…



https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/parking-roads-a...

InitialDave

14,111 posts

139 months

Thursday 30th January
quotequote all
W12GT said:
Whilst out on travels, noticed the following sign, never seen anything like this before. In brief you have to get a permit to use a road - it’s a highways road that has always been open to use by anyone, nothing particularly special about it except it has lots of potholes. Has anyone ever seen this before? Interested in the legality of it…



https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/parking-roads-a...
I assume it's some form of TRO.

It makes sense from the link posted. Tiny road being used as a bypass for the M25 during congestion and it simply doesn't have the capacity for that, so limiting the usage to those who specifically need it.

paddy1970

1,180 posts

129 months

Thursday 30th January
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This kind of restriction could be due to several reasons:

Road Maintenance Issues: If the road is in poor condition with potholes, the local council may be limiting access to reduce damage or liability.

Environmental or Conservation Concerns: Some roads are restricted to protect rural or ecologically sensitive areas.

Private Ownership or Reclassification: If the road has been reclassified or transferred to a private entity, access may require a permit.

Traffic Management: Some local authorities introduce permit schemes to control traffic flow, discourage rat-running, or reduce wear and tear on minor roads.

Sebring440

2,970 posts

116 months

Thursday 30th January
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W12GT said:
Interested in the legality of it…
It's all quite straightforward, as you've posted the link that explains it. Why would it be illegal?


W12GT

Original Poster:

4,158 posts

241 months

Thursday 30th January
quotequote all
Sebring440 said:
W12GT said:
Interested in the legality of it…
It's all quite straightforward, as you've posted the link that explains it. Why would it be illegal?
Because it strikes me as odd to restrict the use of a public highway to a few local areas.

There are two routes that run from that location to locations on the other end, so this restricts it to one - which goes past a secondary school where the kids just walk across the road without warning - a bit like lemmings, so if local you know to go this route to avoid the school kids.

As said in my OP, I’ve never seen this before; I’ve seen total restricted access but never this way. Does this mean we will be seeing these kind of things popping up all over the country to catch us unawares?

Altitude

152 posts

22 months

Friday 31st January
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https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/parking-roads-a...

"Why we've introduced the permit scheme
Roughwood Lane is a single-track country lane which runs parallel to the M25 motorway and often suffered from heavy congestion.

The scheme aims to eliminate traffic from the M25 using the road and discourage use of other nearby roads by limiting cross country routes provided by SatNavs."

Riley Blue

22,763 posts

246 months

Friday 31st January
quotequote all
W12GT said:
Whilst out on travels, noticed the following sign, never seen anything like this before. In brief you have to get a permit to use a road - it’s a highways road that has always been open to use by anyone, nothing particularly special about it except it has lots of potholes. Has anyone ever seen this before?
It happens regularly in Pilton, Somerset when the Glastonbury Festival is on. You can't drive into or through the village without a permit. I imagine there are many other large events where similar short-term restrictions apply, the British GP for example.

Roads can have restricted access for other reasons too; it's not unusual with or without a permit.

borcy

9,201 posts

76 months

Friday 31st January
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How does the permit scheme get enforced?

W12GT

Original Poster:

4,158 posts

241 months

Friday 31st January
quotequote all
Altitude said:
https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/parking-roads-a...

"Why we've introduced the permit scheme
Roughwood Lane is a single-track country lane which runs parallel to the M25 motorway and often suffered from heavy congestion.

The scheme aims to eliminate traffic from the M25 using the road and discourage use of other nearby roads by limiting cross country routes provided by SatNavs."
The problem is it also affects many locals who don’t qualify for the pass because they are outside of the approved catchment.

It won’t stop the M25 satnav brigade as they’ll already be there before they know the restriction is in place, which means the other route will get used and overloaded.

Dr Murdoch

3,864 posts

155 months

Friday 31st January
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borcy said:
How does the permit scheme get enforced?
Most likely ANPR.

Sebring440

2,970 posts

116 months

Friday 31st January
quotequote all
W12GT said:
Does this mean we will be seeing these kind of things popping up all over the country to catch us unawares?
There's permanent restrictions like this all over the country, usually to stop heavy (and commercial vehicle) traffic through villages, You won't bee caught "unawares" — there's ruddy great signs (as you've shown us).


vikingaero

12,006 posts

189 months

Friday 31st January
quotequote all
W12GT said:
Has anyone ever seen this before? Interested in the legality of it...
A Council near me has introduced school permit zones and are fining people. It seems to have been done with consultation (yes we are doing it anyway), signed and whatever traffic orders correctly issued:

https://www.medway.gov.uk/info/200137/schools_and_...

Riley Blue

22,763 posts

246 months

Friday 31st January
quotequote all
Sebring440 said:
W12GT said:
Does this mean we will be seeing these kind of things popping up all over the country to catch us unawares?
There's permanent restrictions like this all over the country, usually to stop heavy (and commercial vehicle) traffic through villages, You won't bee caught "unawares" — there's ruddy great signs (as you've shown us).
I can think of three within a couple of miles of where I live.

W12GT

Original Poster:

4,158 posts

241 months

Friday 31st January
quotequote all
What happens when the people living down there have visitors?

Kyp

110 posts

62 months

Friday 31st January
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W12GT said:
What happens when the people living down there have visitors?
They have to get a permit??

Riley Blue

22,763 posts

246 months

Friday 31st January
quotequote all
W12GT said:
What happens when the people living down there have visitors?
'Access only' often doesn't require a permit. Where it does, it's arranged by the resident in much the same way as visitor parking permits are where I live. No permit is a two hour maximum, with a permit is all day.

Actual

1,513 posts

126 months

Friday 31st January
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W12GT said:
A permit may be required but there is no penalty specified for using the road without a permit.

Granadier

1,033 posts

47 months

Friday 31st January
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vikingaero said:
W12GT said:
Has anyone ever seen this before? Interested in the legality of it...
A Council near me has introduced school permit zones and are fining people. It seems to have been done with consultation (yes we are doing it anyway), signed and whatever traffic orders correctly issued:

https://www.medway.gov.uk/info/200137/schools_and_...
Some of these schemes near me only apply at certain times of day (around school start/end time) and some are "term time only", so in theory before driving past the sign you're supposed to check online whether it's half-term or whatever at that particular school. All enforced by camera of course.

SV_WDC

1,040 posts

109 months

Friday 31st January
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borcy said:
How does the permit scheme get enforced?
I think ANPR as they are digital permits.

I have knowledge of this lane & it is single track in many places; unless you're a local you're unlikely to know where the passing spots are. Anytime there's congestion on the M25 Waze/Google Maps updates this as a cut through rather than the main A roads that would probably add an extra 5 mins to the journey. Meanwhile HGV's seem to ignore the warning signs which compounds the issue


Edited by SV_WDC on Friday 31st January 16:02

Altitude

152 posts

22 months

Friday 31st January
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W12GT said:
The problem is it also affects many locals who don’t qualify for the pass because they are outside of the approved catchment.

It won’t stop the M25 satnav brigade as they’ll already be there before they know the restriction is in place, which means the other route will get used and overloaded.
Those local probably need to get stuck into their local councillers to have the permit scheme extended to them if it's essential they have access to that road then.

The locals effected by the traffic has certainly caused enough complaints with theirs to get this scheme up and running.