Apply for a skip licence

You need a licence to place a skip on a public road or highway

What is it for

Licences are required to ensure the skips do not block access to property or apparatus within the highway, restrict visibility at junctions, accesses and crossing points or reduce highway widths to an unacceptable extent.

You don’t need a licence if you’re putting the skip entirely on private land.

Who can apply

Skip companies must apply on behalf of their customers.

Only approved skip hire companies can apply for a licence.

To apply to become an approved skip hire company please complete an application to be placed on the Hampshire County Council register of skip operators.

You will require the following information to complete the form:

  • Environment Agency Waste Carrier’s Licence Number
  • Company invoice details
  • Details of Companies House registration (if applicable)
Before you apply

When applying for a skip licence it is a requirement that the applicant shall hold £10 million public liability insurance to cover the period of the application. Any agreed alteration to that period shall be similarly insured.

Please note that you will be asked to provide details of any Traffic Management that you will be using. If you are not intending to use any additional Traffic Management, please select “No Traffic Management" on the form.

When considering the dates and location for the placement of the skip, please check one.network for scheduled streetworks. Skip licence applications will not be approved where planned streetworks coincide with the proposed date and location for the skip. This applies to the road where the skip will be placed and any adjoining roads. Please note, availability of road space upon application does not guarantee approval of the licence nor does it preclude other works other works which may adversely impact / affect the application from being scheduled.

The applicant must determine whether local parking enforcement regulations necessitate obtaining parking suspension for the location pertaining to the skip licence application and give consideration to the associated timescales. Further information on parking suspensions in the districts of Fareham, Gosport, Test Valley and in the New Forest can be obtained from Hampshire County Council. For other areas, please contact the appropriate local district authority.

If there is a requirement for vehicles to be parked in an area where parking is restricted, separate approval from Parking services may be required. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ascertain if this approval is required, this is separate to any licence application.

For further information regarding parking please see Parking dispensations in Hampshire: what we offer and who can apply.

Conditions
General conditions

  • A skip shall not be placed on the highway without the prior approval in writing of the Chief Engineer or their representative
  • The Applicant shall indemnify the County Council against all liability, loss, claim or proceeding whatsoever arising under the statute or common law in respect of the placing, and maintaining of skips on the highway, or their removal there from
  • The Applicant shall only deposit and remove skips on the public highway between the hours of 7.30am and 8.30pm on all days and not before approval of the application has been issued
  • This licence does not apply to and does not permit the deposit of materials on the highway
  • Failure to comply with these conditions is a criminal offence and will result in the licence being withdrawn

Skip specifications

  • The skip shall not exceed 5 metres (16’6”) in length and 2 metres (6’6”) in width
  • The skip shall be clearly and permanently marked on one of the longer sides (not the end) with the Applicant’s name, address and telephone number
  • The ends of the skips shall be painted yellow and provided with vertical markings next to the side edges of the skip in accordance with the Builder’s Skips (Markings) Regulations 1984 and all current relevant specification

Position of skips

  • A skip shall not be placed on the highway so as to impede the surface water drainage of the highway or to obstruct access to other premises, fire hydrants, gullies, manholes or any apparatus belonging to a Statutory Undertaker or to Hampshire County Council
  • Any skip on the carriageway shall be positioned with its longer sides parallel to and as near to the edge of the carriageway as possible.
  • A skip shall be clearly visible to traffic approaching from either side at a distance of not less than 75 metres (250 feet) and shall not be placed within 20 metres (75 feet) of a road junction
  • A skip shall not partly or wholly obstruct a footway without the permission of the Chief Engineer or their representative. If such permission has been granted, a 1 metre (3 feet) wide pedestrian walkway must be signed and guarded to segregate pedestrians from traffic and the walkway must be lamped at night
  • Where more than one skip is placed adjacent to another upon the highway at the same time, the skips shall be positioned as close to each other as possible so that the distance between adjacent skips does not exceed 2 metres (6 feet)
  • Skips positioned on soft verges must be placed on suitable boards to prevent damage to the verge
  • A skip shall not be positioned on the highway so as to impede the flow of traffic

Lighting and coning

  • A skip on the carriageway shall be protected by three cones positioned on the approaching traffic side as shown in the diagram below
    Safety lighting and coning around skips
  • An amber lamp shall be attached to each corner of the skip and when the skip has been placed on the carriageway, lamps must be placed between traffic cones in accordance with the diagram above. Lamps shall be steady and shall comply with Section 43 of the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 1994. They shall remain lit throughout the hours of darkness (between half and hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise). They shall be placed in such a manner as to not cause a nuisance to pedestrians or vehicular traffic

Skip contents

  • No skip shall contain any inflammable explosive, noxious or dangerous material which is likely to putrefy or become a nuisance to the users of the highway and the contents of the skip shall be kept damp to prevent nuisance from dust
  • No skip shall be used in such a way that any of the contents fall on to the highway

Removal of skips

  • No skip shall remain on the highway after the expiry of the licence
  • Any skip shall be removed as soon as possible and in any case not later than two working days after it has been filled
  • A skip may be removed or repositioned if required by the Police, the Chief Engineer or his representative
  • A skip owner placing a skip on the highway is responsible for the removal and proper disposal of the materials placed on the skip irrespective of who has used the skip
  • On the expiry of the licence, the highway where the skip has been positioned must be left in a clean and tidy condition and any damage to the highway repaired to the satisfaction of the Chief Engineer or his representative

Insurance – public/employers liability

  • The Applicant must have the minimum required public liability insurance cover (£10 million) to cover the whole of the licence period. Any agreed alteration to that period shall be similarly insured.

Parking Restrictions

  • The applicant is responsible for ensuring that, where applicable, permission is obtained from the relevant authority to suspend any parking regulations for the whole of the licence period, including any agreed alteration to that period
  • The applicant must adhere to local parking enforcement regulations, including obtaining permission for parking suspension where applicable
  • It is the applicants’ responsibility to seek the authority’s approval should changes to the licence be required (e.g. altering dates etc.)

Timescales

The Applicant shall allow at least five clear working days between the date of application for a licence to place a skip on the highway and the date on which the licence is intended to commence

Tacit consent does not apply

Due to safety legislation your application is not approved until you are issued with an Approval Notice form us.
Charges
  • £69.50
  • On application / for the first week of the licence
  • £26
  • Charged for each additional week
  • £37
  • One-off fee to inspect roll-on/roll-off skips (In addition to the application fee)

Fast Track Service: Should you require more urgent approval; you have the option to use our fast track service. We aim to process fast track applications within 1 working day. If you choose this option, an additional £43 will be added to the total cost of your application.

  • Fast track service: 1 working day
  • + £43
  • If selected, this charge will be added to the total cost of licence

If you would like to cancel your application after submission, you may not be entitled to a full refund if work has already commenced to process it.

You will receive an automated receipt when paying for this service. No VAT is charged as this is a non-business service and the VAT is classed as ‘out-of-scope’. However, should it be required for your records, Hampshire County Council’s VAT number is GB 189 4068 22.

Apply

When applying for a licence ensure you submit a request for the full period of work as we do not offer extensions. If you require additional time on the highway you will be required to submit a new application with the associated fees.

If you're happy you understand the conditions and charges: