Road Space Booking

Application to occupy the highway

For all non-statutory undertakers wishing to occupy the highway, a Road Space Booking application form will need to be submitted.

Examples of Statutory Undertakers:

National Highways
Utility Company (or carrying works on their behalf)
Suffolk County Council works (i.e. Suffolk Highways).

What is a Road Space Booking application?

A Road Space Booking application is an essential step to gain approval from a street authority to occupy a public highway – it provides details of:

Location
Type of work
Duration
Extent of highway to be occupied
Necessary traffic management required
Any mitigation measures required
Any necessary conditions associated with the works
Who will be carrying out the work, and their relevant insurance and accreditation.

This information is then assessed and, if the road space is available, you will receive your Road Space Booking confirmation, this confirmation may include any necessary conditions that you will be required to adhere to whilst carrying out your works. You might be asked to amend your dates, work in collaboration (if possible) and/or provide further information before receiving your confirmation.

Please note: the road space booking confirmation is not an approval for the type of works you plan to carry out, it only gives permission to occupy the highway at a specific time. The relevant permissions regarding your works must be applied for with the appropriate department beforehand i.e. if the road space is being booked to install a dropped kerb; you will first need to apply for the dropped kerb and have approval.

Application process

Applicants who are looking to conduct any works involving installing private apparatus in the highway (under Section 50 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991) will need to apply for a Section 50 Streetworks License instead.

Works that would qualify for this include:

sewer connections,
private water supplies
installation of ducts.

Apply for a Section 50 Streetworks License

Step 1: pay for Road space booking.

Before completing the booking form. You will need to use the payment reference on the application form. Please note, this is a non-refundable fee.

Please note that manual payment processing of applications is available, but requests will incur an additional fee of £50 to cover administrative costs. We encourage using our online Portal for automated payment processing at no extra charge. Please contact Highways.DevelopmentControl@suffolk.gov.uk if you are unable to use the Portal.

Payments and application form submissions are all submitted through Highway agreement and works licence payment portal.

If works are being ordered by a local authority such as Parish or District Councils, The £50 Road Space Charge will not be applicable.

Pay for a road space booking

Fill in the below form, ensuring that all boxes marked with an asterisk (*) are completed correctly.

Download the Traffic Management Act form
DOC95KB

Before sending in your application, please make sure you have considered and attached the following:

A location plan or coordinates (Eastings and Northings) of your works area so that the site extents can be correctly plotted.
If excavating, evidence, e.g., scans, of qualifications of accredited operative(s), accredited supervisor(s) cards (e.g., Streetworks).
Copy of public liability insurance (excavation and non-excavation).
If applying for Minor Works Licence, Dropped kerb licence or Section 278 agreement, you must provide the agreement document or written approval from the relevant SCC department or the email address of your contact. This will help speed the process along.
Allow for the correct notice period before your proposed start date(s) – please see the table below.

Please note: Any sensitive information provided cannot be held on file and therefore we require you to submit it every time you make a new application. This is due to GDPR legislation and is to comply with statutory requirements.

We do not accept postal applications

Failure to provide the essential information to make your application may result in delays which in turn could affect your proposed dates.

Once completed please send it to: developernoticing@suffolk.gov.uk

Dates for Road Space bookings

We strongly recommend that you give as much notice as possible and visit Roadworks in Suffolk | Suffolk County Council, to check for road space availability when considering the dates for your works.

Minimum notice periods for a road space booking
Works category	Duration of works	Notice period to Developer Noticing
Minor works notice Works that will not require a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO)	1-3 days duration	5 working days
Standard works notice Works that will not require a TTRO	4-10 days duration	13 working days
Major works notice	Works with a duration of 11 days or more Or Works of any duration that will require a TTRO	3 months (a shorter notice period may be agreed in some circumstances)

Please note: Dates are subject to coordination approval and the requested dates may not be possible due to other planned works in the vicinity. Suffolk County Council reserves the right to request changes to the dates of works once booked to avoid conflict on the highway network.

Temporary Road closure or restriction

If you will require a road closure or other temporary traffic restriction, you will need to apply for a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order. In addition to the TTRO, it is a requirement to also book the road space as per the above. If you do not have a valid road space booking your TTRO application may not be processed.

To apply for a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order or a Temporary Traffic Regulation Notice (in the case of immediate urgent/emergency works) please visit Apply for a temporary road closure or restriction | Suffolk County Council

You must tell us when your works commence and when they end (these must be the dates as agreed on your road space booking confirmation unless otherwise agreed).

You are required to notify us within 2 hours of works commencement and works completion. This can be done through a simple email to developernoticing@suffolk.gov.uk using the reference number supplied in your road space booking confirmation.

Delays and extensions

If there is any delay in starting your works on the agreed date you must contact us at the earliest opportunity – Note that a delayed start does not mean that you will be able to work past the agreed end date.

Extensions will only be granted in exceptional circumstances and contact must be made with us as soon as possible, quoting the works reference and the reason for your request.

Road Space Booking

Application to occupy the highway

What is a Road Space Booking application?

Application process

Step 2: complete the form for road space booking

Step 3: Await Network Assurance team approval

Step 4: Receive your road space booking details

Step 5: Works start and stop