Do I need a skip permit?

If you’ve decided to hire a skip to remove your household, garden or commercial waste, one of the biggest challenges you’re likely to face is figuring out where you’re going to put the skip while you’ve got it.

Where you’ll put your skip depends on a couple of things.

First, do you have any private land (like a driveway) where you can store the skip off the public pathways and highways?

Or, can you put the skip on the road or in the path?

And do you need a permit to be able to do that?

If you have private land where you can easily place your skip, then you’re not going to have too many problems.

You can simply have your skip delivered and placed on your property.

But things get a bit more complicated when you have to put the skip on a public path or road.

When you need a permit for your skip.

If you’re planning to put your skip on a public pathway or public highway, you’ll need to get a permit from the local authority.

Applications need to be made directly to the relevant council who will determine whether to grant you a permit or not.

Why do I need a permit to put a skip on a public highway.

Skip permits are needed to make sure any skip placed on a public highway is done so safely, and in a way that limits disruption and danger to the surrounding area.

Skip permits follow strict criteria and can be rejected for failing to meet any of the requirements.

For example skips that could endanger road users (by blocking sight lines etc), block access to property, endanger pedestrians (by limiting junctions or crossing points) or any skip that would narrow a road too much, isn’t likely to get a permit.

Skip permits can also help local authorities track how many skips are put in a particular area.

This ensures public highways don’t become overcrowded with skips and impact traffic or parking in a given area.

In some areas (like The City of London) there is a blanket restriction banning the placement of skips.

Other areas have limits on skip placements if there’s restricted parking on the street - it won’t necessarily mean you won’t get a permit, but you might have to pay more.

Who applies for the skip permit?

If you’re hiring the skip yourself for a private project, you’ll likely be responsible for arranging the skip permit.

It’s possible the skip hire company will apply for the permit on your behalf, or at least help you with the application, but you’ll need to make sure you know so you don’t end up getting your skip delivered with no permit in place.

If you’ve hired a construction company for a project on your property (like for an extension) and they require a skip, they’ll be responsible for the skip hire - but again it’s worth checking with them so you don’t get caught out.

How long does a skip permit last?

Most skip permits are granted for a period between 7-14 days.

Permit lengths will vary from council to council though, so make sure you check how long it lasts when you apply.

Some councils grant permits for the calendar month.

If you need the permit for longer - like if there’s a delay getting the skip taken away - you can apply for a limited extension, but this will include additional costs.

What if my skip doesn’t have a permit?

If you have a skip delivered and placed on a public highway or path without a permit, you could be fined up to £1,000.

The skip could also be removed without notice.

If your skip is placed on a public highway or path then it’s required for traffic cones - at least 4 - to be placed around the skip on approach to it so it’s clear to pedestrians and motorists.

If your skip will be placed on the path or highway overnight, you must make sure there are lights attached to the four corners and between each cone so the obstruction is clearly highlighted to oncoming motorists and pedestrians.

How much does a skip permit cost?

The cost of a skip permit can vary greatly from council to council.

Even within London, the prices can vary from borough to borough,

Here’s a few skip hire prices* to give you an idea of how prices.

Manchester (£32 per permit, granted for a maximum of 7 days)

Liverpool (£25 per permit, granted for a maximum of 7 days)

Birmingham (£22 per permit, granted for a maximum of 7 days)

Islington (£100 per permit, granted for one calendar month)

Kingston (£133 per permit, granted for one calendar month)

Richmond (£75 per permit, granted for maximum of 3 weeks)

Southwark (£82.50, granted for a maximum of one calendar month)

All prices taken from the associated council websites and are accurate at the time of writing: 02/11/2021).

Hire a skip with LITTA and we’ll take care of the skip permit.

If you hire your skip with us at LITTA, you won’t need to worry about the permit because we’ll take care of the application for you. We’ll secure all the necessary permissions before your skip is delivered.

Just be aware that the application process can take upto a week before a permit is granted, so it’s worth factoring that into your project timings when ordering your skip.

Once the skip is on site we’ll take care of all the necessary safety requirements to ensure the skip is in line with the rules and regulations set out by the local council.

And once you’ve finished, we’ll come and collect it quickly so you don’t face additional costs from permit extensions.

Ready to hire your skip?