Looking After

How we work to look after the National Park, conservation, ranger services, biodiversity and policies.

The work of the Authority
How we make decisions, the role of Members and staff.
Current consultations
We want your opinions on these consultations
Ranger service
What our rangers and volunteers do around the National Park.
Plans & policies
Corporate plans and policies

Traffic Regulation Orders

What are they?

Traffic regulation orders, often called TROs, are powers given to highway and national park authorities to ban vehicles from certain routes or rights of way. This ban might be in place all the time or during certain periods, like summer months or after a set time in the day.

Traffic regulation orders can be used to prevent problems from happening, not just to stop the damage once it has already occurred.

Who can make a Traffic Regulation Order in the Peak District National Park?

County councils, metropolitan borough councils and the Peak District National Park Authority.

What types of Traffic Regulation Order are there?

There are three types:

Permanent – these stay in place unless they are revoked or a new order is introduced to replace it.
Experimental orders – can last up to 18 months and are usually used to protect the public from danger, to conserve a route or allow the public to enjoy it better. Experimental orders can be introduced quickly and are used to test the success of a scheme before deciding whether to make it permanent.
Temporary orders – also last up to 18 months and are generally used to allow works to take place.

When can they be used?

For one or more of the following reasons:

Avoiding danger to the public or motorists
Preventing damage to a road or nearby buildings
Preventing the use of a route by unsuitable traffic
Preserving the character of a road, especially those suitable for walking or horse riding
Preserving or improving amenities of the area through which the road runs
To help improve air quality as required by the Environment Act 1995
Conserving or enhancing the natural beauty of the area
To allow improved access to recreational opportunities or the study of nature

When will the Peak District National Park Authority use them?

We recognise that in some circumstances Traffic Regulation Orders can tackle problems for local communities. Our powers only apply on unsurfaced roads or routes.

We will consider making a TRO in any or all of the following circumstances:

We are concerned that conservation of the land is being harmed by vehicle use and there is no other way of controlling this
The route in question crosses the boundaries of different highway authorities – in these instances it is more sensible for us to make an order as we operate across the whole of the Peak District
It is possible to enforce – there is no point making an order if the police don’t have the resources or ability to ensure the order is being complied with
There are unforeseen or highly unusual circumstances that require us to take action

We won’t make an order when the problem is the responsibility of the police or a highway authority. But we will work with you to ask these organisations if they want to make an order. Examples of these include:

Road safety issues – these are the responsibility of the police and the highway authority in the area concerned
Problems with the maintenance of unsurfaced roads – this is the responsibility of the highway authority in the area concerned
Noise, disturbance or anti-social behaviour – these issues are dealt with by district, borough or metropolitan borough councils

So how do you pick which routes are considered for TROs?

There are around 300 unsurfaced routes in the Peak District. We are currently surveying the condition and use of each of these routes to decide which are the most sensitive locations. Once we have done this we will work with the relevant highway authority and local access forum for that area to look at how we can jointly manage any problems.

Options that will be looked at include: