High Court injunction for motorways and major A roads

Parts of the strategic road network have been targeted by unlawful protect activity.

We secured a wide-reaching civil injunction as part of our continuing and determined attempts to prevent disruption to England’s busiest roads and the health and safety of those using them, including:

• public services
• the general public
• the protestors themselves.

The injunction was successful in protecting the strategic road network, so we have not sought to renew it for the time being.

If there is future unlawful protest activity on the strategic road network that we are mandated to operate safely, we will act quickly to re-establish the protection afforded by an injunction for the benefit of all of those using the strategic road network.

Our primary concern is always safety. Protesting on our network is extremely dangerous, both for motorists and for the protesters themselves.

Injunction

We obtained a civil injunction that prevented named roads being obstructed for unlawful protest purposes.

Protesting on these roads carries the risk of imprisonment, an unlimited fine and having assets seized.  We’ll consider pursuing further legal avenues as appropriate to safeguard the strategic road network.  

Road closures

Where a member of public is protesting at height over a motorway or other similar arterial route, the decision to close the road is based on a range of factors, with public safety being the most important. Both police and National Highways traffic officers have powers to close roads.

Following an incident, our traffic officers will work with the police to re-open the road as soon as possible, after making sure all affected infrastructure, such as gantries, are undamaged and safe.