Road Traffic Act 1960

49Power of local authorities to prohibit traffic on roads to be used as playgrounds

(1)The council of a county (other than the administrative county of London), metropolitan borough, county borough, 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 or description, 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 this section shall be of any effect unless and until it is confirmed by the appropriate Minister who, if he confirms it, may confirm it either without modification or subject to such modifications as he thinks fit, but the appropriate Minister 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 him against the order and, if he thinks fit, may cause a public inquiry to be held.

(4)An order made under this section may be revoked, varied or amended by an order made in like manner as the original order.

(5)The appropriate Minister may at any time after giving notice in writing to the authority by whom an order under this section was made and after holding, if he thinks fit, a public inquiry, by statutory instrument revoke, vary or amend the 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, or in Scotland on conviction by a court of summary jurisdiction, to a fine not exceeding five pounds, or in the case of a second or subsequent conviction to a fine not exceeding ten pounds.

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

(8)The powers conferred by subsection (1) of this section 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.