Supporting amendments on abnormal loads in the Crime and Policing Bill

As part of our ongoing work to remove inconsistencies and excessive fees endured by members moving abnormal loads across the regions of the UK, NCC is supporting a number of amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill tabled by Earl Attlee.

What do the amendments aim to do:

· Amendment 413: Mandates the Secretary of State to establish a national framework for police escort charging, promoting proportionality, transparency and national consistency.

· Amendments 402–404: Tackle judicial misinterpretation and modernise escorting powers with accreditation standards.

· Amendments 408–409, 412: Ease short-notice moves to prevent economic losses from rigid timelines.

· Amendment 409: Limits intrusive information requests to essentials only.

· Amendments 414: Embed economic impact considerations in Schedule 5 of the Road Vehicles (Authorisation of Special Types) Order 2003 (STGO) particularly regarding notice periods for vehicle authorisations.

Despite the revised National Police Chiefs Council Guidance on Abnormal Loads published in the summer, at present there is no national framework regulating when or how police forces charge for escorting or authorising these essential movements. This leads to arbitrary and excessive fees in some areas, while others provide the service at no cost. These are issues that directly impact on businesses and the wider economy.

The Crime and Policing Bill is progressing through the House of Lords – with committee debates scheduled for November and December 2025, and votes anticipated in early 2026.

NCC is encouraging members and their customers to lend support to these important amendments by contacting their local MPs and Peers with real-world examples of delays and/or overcharges, ask them to raise the issue in Commons debates or questions to highlight its economic and operational importance and to meet with you to discuss the impact on your business. A template letter is available to download here.