Proposed permit fee increase consultation 2026/27

Formal consultation on the proposed changes to the Hartlepool Borough Council permit scheme fees by Hartlepool Borough Council in accordance with the Traffic Management Permit Scheme (England) Regulations 2007 (as amended) and Part 3 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 (as amended).

In accordance with Regulation 3(1) and Regulation 5 of The Traffic Management Permit Scheme (England) Regulations 2007 (“The Regulations”), relating to varying or revoking elements of the scheme, the permit authority (being Hartlepool Borough Council) are commencing a statutory consultation with regards to proposed changes to the Hartlepool Borough Council permit fee structure .

Hartlepool Borough Council has in the region of 7,500 road and street works highway openings undertaken on its network each year. These essential works interrupt the free flow of vehicles and footway users and it is therefore essential that any planned disruption must be co-ordinated as effectively as possible.

Permit fees have not risen in Hartlepool since the inception of the permit scheme just under six years ago and taking into account normal inflationary pressures on all associated costs, it is becoming increasingly difficult to deliver an effective full cost recovery permit scheme in such circumstances.

Hartlepool Borough Council is therefore proposing to update its fees policy and raise its permit fees to maintain a cost neutral position as required by the Department for Transport (DfT).

The fee tables include both the current and proposed permit fees for ease of comparison.

How to respond

This statutory consultation runs for a period of four weeks. Responses are requested to be sent by email to Highways@hartlepool.gov.uk. Please title the subject line in any email as ‘Modified Permit Scheme Fee Consultation".

If it is not possible to email responses, then they should be marked "Modified Permit Scheme Fee Consultation" and be sent to:

The deadline for receipt of responses is no later than 5pm on the 27 March 2026. We cannot guarantee that responses received after this date will be considered.

All responses received by the 27 March 2026 will be taken into careful consideration and, if Hartlepool Borough Council considers it to be appropriate, amendments will be made to the draft permit fees table.

Information provided in response to this consultation (including personal information) may be subject to publication or disclosure under the access to information regimes (e.g. the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or Environmental Information Regulations 2004). If you would like your response to be treated confidentially, please indicate the reasons for this in your response.