Road Traffic Regulation Act 1967

Street playgrounds

26Power of local authorities outside Greater London to prohibit traffic on roads to be used as playgrounds.

(1)Subject to sections 84B and 84C of this Act, the council of a county, borough or urban district shall have power, for the purpose of enabling roads within their area in respect of which they are the highway authority to be used as playgrounds for children, to make an order prohibiting or restricting, subject to such exceptions and conditions as to occasional user or otherwise as may be specified in the order, the use of any specified road by vehicles, or by vehicles of any specified class, either generally or on particular days or during particular hours.

(2)An order made under this section with respect to a road shall make provision for permitting reasonable access to premises situated on or adjacent to it.

(5)Without prejudice to section 84D of this Act, the appropriate Minister may at any time after giving notice in writing to the authority by whom an order under the foregoing provisions of this section was made, and after holding, if he thinks fit, a public inquiry, by order under this subsection, vary or revoke the authority's order.

(6)A person who uses a vehicle, or causes or permits a vehicle to be used, in contravention of an order in force under this section shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £50.

(9)The powers conferred by subsection (1) above on the councils therein mentioned shall, in Scotland, be exercisable as regards roads in a county by the county council, and as regards roads in a burgh by the town council.

(10)Without prejudice to section 26A of this Act, this section shall not apply to Greater London.

26APower of local authorities in Greater London to prohibit traffic on roads to be used as playgrounds.

(1)Subject to the provisions of this section, the council of a London borough or the Common Council of the City of London shall have power, for the purpose of enabling roads within their area in respect of which they are the highway authority to be used as playgrounds for children, to make an order prohibiting or restricting, subject to such exceptions and conditions as to occasional user or otherwise as may be specified in the order, the use of any specified road by vehicles, or by vehicles of any specified class, either generally or on particular days or during particular hours.

(2)An order made under this section with respect to a road shall make provision for permitting reasonable access to premises situated on or adjacent to it.

(3)No order made under subsection (1) above shall be of any effect unless and until it is confirmed by the Greater London Council who, if they confirm it, may confirm it either without modification or subject to such modifications as they think fit, but that Council shall not confirm an order until twenty-eight days at least have elapsed since the making of the order and, before confirming it, shall consider any objections which may have been made to them against the order and, if they think fit, may cause a public inquiry to be held.

(4)Without prejudice to section 84D of this Act, the Greater London Council may at any time after giving notice in writing to the authority by whom an order under subsection (1) above was made, and after holding, if the Council think fit, a public inquiry, by order of the Council vary or revoke the authority's order.

(5)A person who uses a vehicle, or causes or permits a vehicle to be used, in contravention of an order in force under this section shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding £50.

(6)The Greater London Council may make regulations for prescribing the procedure to be followed in connection with the making of orders by any other authority under this section and the confirmation thereof and for prescribing the manner in which that other authority shall publish notice of the fact that any such order has been made and confirmed and of its effect.

27Power of local authorities to make byelaws with respect to roads used as playgrounds.

A local authority by whom an order may be made under section 26 or 26A of this Act shall have power, in relation to any road as respects which an order is made by them prohibiting or restricting the use of the road by vehicles, or by vehicles of any specified class, for the purpose of enabling the road to be used as a playground for children, to make byelaws (subject to confirmation, in the case of byelaws of a local authority in Greater London, by the Greater London Council or, in any other case, by the appropriate Minister) authorising the use of the road for that purpose, and making provision with respect to the admission of children to the road when used as a playground, and with respect to the safety of children so using the road and their protection from injury by vehicles using the road for access to premises situated on or adjacent to it or otherwise, and generally with respect to the proper management of the road when used as a playground as aforesaid.