Street closures and street closure event register

We issue orders to close roads and precincts within the Lewes district for events. We have powers under the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 - Section 21 to close public roads in the district for public entertainment and sporting events. There is no charge for this service.

The pedestrian precincts in Lewes and Newhaven are not covered by the Town Police Clauses Act but are licensed for use by us. We can deal with applications to use these areas. Please contact Environmental Health online.

We have no authority to close pavements or footpaths. This is the responsibility of East Sussex County Council Rights Of Way department.

Applications for street closures

Forms should be completed a minimum of eight weeks prior to the event. However, if your application may raise Public Order concerns, you need to allow an extra four weeks for your application to be processed. This makes the consultation period twelve weeks. Any requests received later than this will be refused as we will not have sufficient time to conduct relevant consultations.

All applications should be completed using the 24 hour clock and have an accompanying map marking clearly in colour the lengths of streets you wish to close. The narrative on the application should match exactly the lengths of road indicated on the map. Please give name of road to be closed from junction with X to junction with Y, if applicable. If your application and map are not clear, this will delay your application as we will request clarification prior to consultation.

All applications for street closures are referred to East Sussex Highways, Sussex Police, the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, The Sussex Ambulance Service and the Public Transport providers for comment. Any issues raised by them will be referred to the applicant.

If you have never applied for a road closure with us before then we will ask you to provide evidence you have consulted with all those directly affected by the road(s) you are closing.

Apply for a street closure in the Lewes district:

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Applications for play streets

We are inviting applications from residents who want to turn their street into a play street. You can find more information, together with our online application form, on our play streets or street parties webpage.

Street closure signs

East Sussex County Council advises organisers about advance warning and diversion signs. Lettering must be 50mm in height, black on a yellow background, conforming to the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002.

We do not provide signs or barriers for road closures. If required, they are available from Kier Group. Please see the East Sussex Highways web pages for more information.

Your obligations

As the applicant you are responsible for ensuring that all necessary road signs and barriers are placed on the highway. You should display the Road Closure Order as soon as you receive it and remove the signs as soon as your event is over.

It is also your responsibility as organiser to inform all residents and businesses on the affected roads, indicating the date, time and extent of the road closure.

Street closure event register

View the list of current requests for street closures received under the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 in the PDF document below. We consult with East Sussex Highways, Sussex Police, Sussex Ambulance Service, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, Public Transport Providers, East Sussex County Council Legal Department and the relevant Town or Parish Council. We require consent from both Sussex Police and East Sussex County Council Highways before we can issue an Order.

If you have any queries regarding the events listed below please contact the organisers responsible.

Apply for Street Party Consent

Find out how to apply for street party consent, including street closures in Eastbourne on our Play streets or street parties page.

Street closure event register

We do not currently publish a street closure event register for Eastbourne.