Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council Permit Scheme

Policy Statement - Employment of Sanctions

Failure to obtain a permit, where one is required to undertake specified activities in a specified street/USRN, or to commit a breach of a permit condition, constitutes a criminal offence under the Regulations. The Permit Authority is empowered to employ three courses of action to achieve compliance with the Permit Scheme.

• Fixed Penalty Notices
• Prosecution
• An intervention power

The Permit Authority will endeavour to resolve problems and achieve the necessary compliance within the Permit Scheme by informal negotiation with the activity promoter concerned.

The use of Fixed Penalty Notices will be used as opportunity to the offender to discharge liability for any offences. Where it has not been possible to informally resolve the situation and there is persistent non-compliance the Permit Authority will serve a notice on the activity promoter setting down the action that is to be taken within a set timescale.

Failure of the activity promoter to positively respond to such a notice may result in the Permit Authority carrying out the required action via prosecution and recovering all reasonably incurred costs from the activity promoter.

As a last resort, and dependent on the seriousness and persistence of the offences, the Permit Authority may proceed to an intervention power.