Applying for a Section 171 licence

You need this licence to book space on the highway when you wish to carry out minor works such as tree works on private property, installation of private street furniture, use of traffic management and building and re-building boundary walls on or near the highway.

Authorisation for the connection of new drainage to existing highway drainage system will not be granted.

The Licence is issued in accordance with the Highways Act 1980 (Section 171), Road Traffic Act 1984 (Section 65) and Environmental Protection Act 1980 (Section 34).

Important restrictions

Please note that authorisation for the connection of new drainage into the existing highway drainage system will not be granted under this licence.

General information

Our aim is to enable the expeditious movement of traffic on our network. This is a duty placed on local traffic authorities by the Traffic Management Act 2004. The Act requires local authorities to manage their road networks with a view to achieving the objective of expeditiously securing the movement of traffic on them.

Application requirements

To process your application, you will need to provide:

• Proof of £10m Public Liability Insurance
• NRSWA cards for Operatives & Supervisor
• Traffic management plan and works plan / drawing of activities (in PDF format)
• STAT plans for the works area (if works involve excavation)
• Proof of payment (in PDF format or screen shot etc)

The team cannot process applications for road space booking without an S278 agreement being in place. 

Please note: we may impose special conditions

Application fees

The Streetworks Team will be in touch once the fees have been calculated based on your submission details. 

• £275 for works requiring any excavating
• £179 for traffic management only and/or works requiring no excavations

An additional fee of £100 will apply to any changes made after approval. Cancellation of approved permits or bookings may be subject to a full charge to cover administrative and network management costs.

Compliance and charges

All works carried out under a Section 50 licence must comply with the requirements of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 and associated Codes of Practice.

 Failure to comply with these requirements may result in enforcement action, including the issue of Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs).

Where works overrun beyond the agreed duration, charges may also be applied in line with Section 74 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991.

Applicants are strongly advised to ensure that all works are properly planned, notified, and completed within agreed timescales.

How to pay

Payments can be made via BACS using the following details:

Account name: OCC - Licensing & Streetworks DCI
Sort code: 308012
Account number: 15190568

When making payment, please use ‘S171 and the location of works’ as the reference

How to apply 

Applications for a Section 171 Licence must be submitted via our online system.

If this is not the license you require, please visit our licenses and permits page to see what licenses we offer.