East Suffolk Council
Permits, exemptions and dispensations
There are many types of parking management regulations; some are in place to ensure the safety of road users, others help improve traffic movement and other regulations help balance the demand for parking.
Regulations such as those for disabled badge holders, goods vehicle loading and time-limited bays assist with balancing parking demand. Drivers may need to park in the same location and balancing demand between them and for different lengths of time helps to optimise parking opportunities for all. Permit holder regulations also balance parking demand, and they are commonly used in residential streets close to popular locations such as town centres and railway stations, where they prioritise parking opportunities for nearby residents and their visitors.
Resident permits
Permit management schemes operate in East Suffolk and residents living at eligible addresses must purchase a permit should they wish to park their car in the permit area in which they live during the regulation times. When applying for a Resident Permit, proof of residency, vehicle ownership and payment card details are required to complete the application process.
A resident permit costs £30 per year and is valid for one vehicle. Those living in permit parking zones who choose not to have a resident permit may register for Visitor Voucher Eligibility. Proof of residency is required and there is no charge for registering. Residents with a Resident Permit, or registered for Visitor Voucher Eligibility, may purchase up to thirty visitor vouchers in a thirty-day period. Each visitor voucher costs £1 and residents may activate the voucher for a specific vehicle registration number for one day. Households with multiple vehicles and/or receiving visitors during the operational times of the permit parking zone may find visitor vouchers useful if parking opportunities are not available alongside unregulated kerb space or in time-limited waiting bays. Households with a driveway are not eligible for a Resident Permit because they are already able to park at their home. Permit schemes assist those without driveways to park at least one car close to their home. Resident Permits are available for motorcars, which has the same meaning as in Section 136 of Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (legislation.gov.uk) and relating provisions and not exceeding 5.5m in length nor 2.2m in width (excluding wing mirrors); with Vehicle Certification Agency type approval M1 for passenger vehicles.
Resident Permits and Visitor Vouchers are virtual and linked to a vehicle registration number. This enables parking officers to check whether a vehicle is parked legally, reducing inconsiderate parking in residential zones.
| Apply for a resident permit |
Health and social care permits
Those working in health and social care sometimes serve residents living in permit parking zones. Some zones are designed with all the kerb-space regulated in some way and these often include time-limited waiting bays, and some zones are designed with sections of kerb-space left unregulated; both provide parking opportunities for those visiting residents. It might be necessary for those delivering health and social care in the community to park in the permit holder bays and the Health and Social Care Permit, administered as carer vouchers, facilitates parking within permit regulated bays. Carers wishing to access the additional parking opportunities provided by carer vouchers should register on the parking portal. When registering for carer vouchers, proof of employment with a health and social care provider, vehicle ownership and payment card details are required. Registration is £8 per year and this provides up to twenty carer vouchers in a thirty day period. Carers may activate a voucher for a specific vehicle registration number when providing care for a resident living in the permit parking zone.
| Apply for carer's vouchers |
Trade dispensations
Regulations such as No Waiting (yellow lines) and No Loading (kerb blips) are installed where the Highway Authority has deemed it inappropriate to leave a vehicle for some or all of the day, for safety or traffic movement reasons. There are exemptions for some drivers for some reasons on some kerb-space management regulations, and probably the most commonly known is the Blue Badge scheme. Traffic Regulation Orders tend to provide some discretion for the local Highway Authority and the Enforcement Authority to consider a temporary exemption for specific reasons, if it does not diminish the effect intended by the regulation.
Emergency service vehicles and those in connection with providing and maintaining infrastructure such as gas, electricity and telecommunications, are exempt from regulations whilst undertaking statutory duties. For other trades, such as plumbers, electricians and builders, applications must be made to the Enforcement Authority at least five working days in advance with confirmation continual access is required to their vehicle for access to tools and materials. A trade dispensation costs £10 for up to one week and exempts a specific vehicle from regulations in the same way a Blue Badge does for motorists with disabilities. When applying for a trade dispensation, proof of the address in which works are to be undertaken, vehicle ownership and payment card details are required to complete the application process.
| Apply for a Trade Dispensation |
Resident exemptions
Regulations are sometimes installed where not all the individuals in the location are accommodated in terms of their parking requirements. Examples include where time-limited waiting bays, such as ’30 minutes No return for two hours’ and similar, are installed adjacent to residential properties. Some residents risk parking illegally because there are few alternative parking opportunities for them and some have requested permit parking bays.
The Traffic Regulation Order process is lengthy, so an interim solution is provided. Residents living in streets regulated without consideration to their parking needs may choose to apply for a resident exemption (costing £50 per year). An exemption of any type must not be considered freedom to park anywhere at any time, and so applications will be considered on a case by case basis. Applications will be approved only when the street has time-limited waiting bays because Suffolk Highways has deemed the kerb-space safe to park alongside - this means the exemption is for exceeding the designated time-limit only. Households with a driveway are not eligible for a Resident Exemption because they are already able to park at their home. Resident Exemptions are available for motorcars, which has the same meaning as in Section 136 of Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (legislation.gov.uk) and relating provisions and not exceeding 5.5m in length nor 2.2m in width (excluding wing mirrors); with Vehicle Certification Agency type approval M1 for passenger vehicles.
A Resident Exemption will not be issued for disabled badge holders only and loading only type regulations; nor for time-limited waiting bays in the retail core of town centres, nor for No Waiting (yellow line) and No Loading (kerb blips) because Suffolk Highways has deemed the kerb-space be kept clear for road user safety and traffic movement reasons. When applying for a resident exemption, proof of residency, vehicle ownership and payment card details are required to complete the application process.
| Apply for a Resident Exemption |
Other exemptions
The council may consider exemptions for other purposes and the above parking management exemption principles will apply. When applying for a parking management regulation exemption, the rationale for the exemption is required to complete the application process and a Parking Services team member will contact applicants to advise.
| Call the Parking Services team on 01502 523260 for advice. |
Highway Authority waiver schemes
Suffolk County Council, as the Highway Authority, used to administer a waiver system for specific streets and purposes, and this council now administers the same on its behalf. The waivers are:
| Town | Streets | Purpose | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aldeburgh | Crag Path | Exemption to the ‘prohibition of access for motor vehicles’ regulation | Members of the ‘Aldeburgh Fishermen’s Trade Guild Limited’ or those approved by Aldeburgh Town Council and the Enforcement Authority |
| Beccles | Peddars Lane | Exemption to the ‘No waiting Friday 8am - 6pm’ regulation | Residents must live within the length of the road and have no other access to parking |
| Felixstowe | Undercliff Road West | Access to the ‘Permit holders only’ bay | Felixstowe Town Council |
| Lowestoft | London Road North | Access to the ‘Business permits holders only’ bays for loading and unloading | Business owners in the vicinity of the bays |
When applying for a Suffolk County Council waiver proof of membership, residency and business ownership (as appropriate), vehicle ownership and payment card details are required to complete the application process.
| Apply for a Suffolk County Council waiver via the Parking Portal |
Off-street parking place suspensions
Contractors and organisations often request space in a council’s off-street parking place for works and an off-street parking place suspension is required. The Parking suspension administration fees start at £55 for one day plus £25 per day thereafter, up to a maximum of ten days for £280. When applying for an off-street parking place suspension, the reason for the suspension, the applicable dates, a vehicle's details and payment card details are required in order to complete the application process. Approval from the council’s Asset Management team is also required and additional fees will apply.
Organisations and community groups wishing to hold events on council land should first read the running an event safely information and make an application via our events on council land page.
| Apply for an off-street parking place suspension |
On-street parking place suspensions
Contractors often require access to the highway for works and an on-street parking place suspension is required when bay regulations are to be contravened or required for traffic management. Contractors working in the highway must apply for a Section 50 Streetworks Licence from the Highway Authority, and once secured may apply for an on-street parking place suspension with the reason for the suspension, the applicable dates, a vehicle's details, and payment card details in order to complete the application process. Administration fees start at £55 for one day plus £25 per day thereafter, up to a maximum of ten days for £280.
| Apply for an on-street parking place suspension |
