Note from the county council

The East of England Permit Scheme will come into legal effect from Monday 5 November. From this date, anyone wishing to carry out works on the county’s highways must obtain a permit from the county council.

The main purpose for the introduction of a scheme is to minimise disruption from unnecessary or badly controlled road works. There are many additional expected benefits to be achieved through more effective control of road works, which include:

– improving journey times and reliability for all our road users
– reducing the congestion caused by road works
– improving the information available on works, including advanced warning and duration
– increasing the planning and control of works to improve safety and reduce damage to the road

The implementation and operation of the scheme must be a non-profit making operation, and will be funded through the fees charged to other organisations for granting permits. The fees will be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure the scheme remains cost neutral.

The scheme applies to the county council’s own highway works as well as to utility companies and developers.

There are four authorities implementing a common scheme – Hertfordshire County Council, Southend On Sea Borough Council, Bedford Borough Council and Luton Borough Council. This is the first scheme of its type to be approved by the Department for Transport.

The Permit Scheme documents can be found at www.hertshighways.org/permits along with other relevant information.