Section 171 licence

Licence required for breaking up or placing traffic management on the highway

Section 171

Under Section 171 of the Highways Act 1980, you must apply for a licence if you intend to:

Excavate or break up the highway (e.g. installing or extending a vehicle access), or
Place traffic management on the highway (e.g. to access manhole covers).

A Section 171 licence does not override any planning constraints, so you must ensure all planning conditions are met before works begin.

It is an offence under Section 171 of the Highways Act 1980 to excavate or occupy the highway without a licence from the Council.

All applications must follow the notice periods set out in the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (NRSWA) Code of Practice.
If your works involve a road closure, you must also apply for a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TTRO) at least 12 weeks before the proposed start date.

It is also an offence to begin works on the highway before the permitted date stated on your licence.

If you are applying for a dropped kerb, you must first obtain permission from the Traffic Management Team, who will then advise you to apply for a Section 171 licence.

If your works are part of a Section 278, Section 38 or Minor Works Agreement, include this in your application description along with the relevant Wokingham Borough Council officer and reference number.
If the licence is needed for a new build, please also provide the Building Regulations Notice and Full Planning Reference number.

It is your responsibility to notify us if there are any changes to your planned works - especially if there is a risk of overrun.

Once your works are complete, you must submit the R1 Registration Form within 10 working days of the end date and return it to the Streetworks team.

Who can apply

A company or contractor will apply for permission to excavate the highway, often on behalf of a land or property owner. This is because it is the applicant who will be required to comply with and accept the licence conditions.

Fees and notice period

The cost of a Section 171 licence is £591.20.

Payment will be requested once road space is confirmed.

Payment is made via our online weblink or an invoice can be issued on request.

Please allow a minimum of 10 working days between applying for a licence and the proposed start date of your works.

Your application will be delayed and possibly rejected if you do not pay the appropriate amount of the fee and submit all the required information needed to assess your application.

How to apply

You can apply online for a Section 171 licence. During the application process you will need to provide:

Traffic Management Plan
Google Maps Image highlighting works location
Scanned copy of a valid public liability insurance certificate for a minimum of £10 million
Scanned colour copies of the Supervisors and Operatives SWQR card, front and back

Apply for S171

Licence conditions

Before you apply you should read our licence conditions document. The Licensee has the right to appeal to the magistrate’s court against conditions or our decision.

To view the relevant legislation you can visit the government's website.