Can I put a skip on the road?

Placing a skip onto the road is governed by the local council.

Please see below for some factors to consider when placing a skip on the road.

Why do you need a road permit?

The reason a road permit is required is to ensure the skip can be safely placed without causing an accident.

And so that the council are fully aware of where skips are at all times.

Skip suppliers are checked for correct insurance and waste licences by the council.

You may think that no one will drive into a big obstacle like a skip on a road, but this does happen!

Many people have been known to walk, cycle or drive into skips placed on the public highways and can cause damage to themselves or their property.

What to consider when placing a skip onto the road.

In order to place a skip onto the road, grass verge, council land or public highways you will require a skip permit from the relevant council.

A licence can be obtained from the supplier you are using providing they have the correct insurance to cover this.

There are multiple factors to consider when placing a skip onto the road.

Usually the largest size skip that can be placed onto a road is an 8 cubic yard skip, however with some councils for example: Essex county council -the largest size they will allow on the road is the 6 cubic yard.

Pricing, duration and how long a skip permits takes to come through vary dependant on the council you fall under.

If you live on a road that requires parking permits you will need to organise a bay suspension with your local council before a supplier can apply for a permit.

To check which council you need for a skip supplier to organise a road permit look here.

It is best to let us know the dates you require the skip so we can advise on how long your permit will take to come through before applying for a bay suspension.

Some councils require a skips to have lights and cones around the skip to make it clearly visible to other drivers, usually a skip provider can supply these lights and cones at an additional fee or included in the permit pricing.

If the supplier does not supply these then you would be responsible for obtaining these for the skips arrival.

If you are not sure what you will require a member of the team will be happy to help, you can use our live chat service, email or give us a call on 0800 019 4530.

Is there an alternative?

If you only need the skip for a short time, you could save yourself some money and not need a road permit.

If you have all of your waste ready and have the man power to quickly load a skip, you could opt for a wait and load service.

A wait and load service allows for a skip to be loaded and taken away again.

The requirements for this service not requiring a road permit is the skip driver and lorry must stay with the skip the entire time.

Suppliers normally allow up to 30 minutes loading time, before additional charges apply. This is all the suppliers discretion.

We can help you find the right wait and load service to suit your needs.

Will the council allow a skip on my road?

It is not always feasible for a council to allow you to place a skip onto certain roads.

Highways authority grant all licences including bay suspensions. If there is any risk of the skip causing an obstruction or potentially harming the public then the application will be refused.

It is illegal to place a skip onto the road without permission from the local highway authority.

Skip permits are non-refundable. Even if the permit is refused as the council charge administration fees.

The following factors below will prevent a skip permit being approved:

• Double yellow lines
• Single yellow lines
• Extremely narrow roads as it is a disruption to other road users
• Corner of a junction
• If the skip will cause danger by reducing visibility on a road
• Traffic volumes and speed of traffic (especially main roads)
• High streets
• Emergency services route
• Planned roadworks

Renewals of licences

When renewing a skip licence you will need to give as much notice as the initial waiting period.

Renewals are not automatic because a multitude of factors can effect renewing a permit.

The permit application has to be redone, in case there are planned roadworks or county specific events taking place etc..

Usually an initial permit will run from two weeks to a maximum period of 1 month.

If you need help deciding whether your skip will be allowed on the road a member of our team will be able to help advise you.

Contact findaskip on 0800 019 4530 or book now today for your instant online quotation.