Official designation of a home zone
The Transport Act 2000 enables local traffic authorities to designate a road for which they are the traffic authority as a home zone.
A home zone is a road or collection of roads which can be used for a variety of purposes above and beyond being places for vehicles to pass. Homes zones can be created or exist without being officially designated as a home zone. However, there are benefits to designation.
What are the benefits of designation?
The purpose of a home zone is to create an attractive and multifunctional environment for all using it. Activities could include neighbours gathering to chat, social functions and children playing.
Designation of a home zone would allow the local traffic authority to put in place measures to yield vehicle speeds low enough to allow such activities to take place safely. It also permits the local traffic authority, having consulted with the local community, to set a specified speed (not to be confused with speed limits) and prescribe the range of activities that can take place within the home zone.
Once designated, official signage must be erected (as pictured above). This allows visitors to know that they are entering a different type of road space which can be used for a range of activities and alert drivers entering to take greater care.
Use orders and speed orders
A road must first be designated as a home zone before a use order or speed order can be made.
Use orders allow roads within a home zone to be used for purposes other than for passage (e.g. ball games). Local traffic authorities, having carried out formal consultation, can set authorised uses as long as these activities do not interfere with the lawful use of the road by others.
Speed orders enable the local traffic authority (following consultation) to set a specified speed for roads within a home zone and implement measures to reduce vehicle speeds to below or at this level. Measures could be physical (eg design of road space) or non-physical (eg community speed pledges). The specified speed is usually lower than the speed limit for that road, and should be set at a level that will allow activities to take place safely.
What are the requirements?
The local traffic authority is obliged to formally consult with people and stakeholders who are likely to be affected before making a designation, a use order or a speed order. Groups required to be consulted include residents and emergency services.
The Department of Transport deems that only roads which are 'predominantly residential and either have very low traffic speeds already (well below 20mph), or have measures applied to bring speeds down to these levels' are suitable for consideration as a home zone.
Links for further information:
Information has been taken from the Department for Transport guidance - The Quiet Lanes and Home Zones (England) Regulations 2006: link
Statutory Instrument 2006 No. 2082: The Quiet Lanes and Home Zones (England) Regulations 2006: link
Institute of Highway Engineers (IHIE) website has further information on legislation and policy related to home zones: link
