If you are hiring a skip or intend to there are certain regulations, rules and laws you need to be aware of in order to stay on the right side of the law. All of the information you will require is contained within the official UK Highway Act 1980. Within the Highway Act you can find the information relevant to skip hire within the UK by reading Section of the 139 road traffic regulations act, 1984.
The Highway Act being such a convoluted document though, many people fail to find, read or accurately grasp what it states. Hence, here is everything you need to know.
Placing a Skip on Private Land
If you intend to place a hired skip on private land you are not required to apply for any special licenses or permits. Provided the land is registered under your own name or alternatively you have explicit permission to place a hired skip on private land belonging to somebody else, this is all you need.
That stated, it is advisable to have any permission in writing along with any stipulations by which permission by a land owner is granted to use their land. Then, it is simply a matter of locating a reputable and local skip hire company who can provide the size of skip or skips for whatever you needs may be.
Placing a Skip on a Public Road
If you intent to hire a skip that is to be placed on public land or a public road, this is when you will be required to understand and abide by a few rules and regulations. Any skip placed on a public road or occupying public land is required by UK law to be permitted. That is, before the skip is delivered a permit must be given by your local council.
How to Acquire a Skip Permit
Before contacting your local council in order to apply for a skip permit, you will need to familiarise yourself with your own local council’s skip hire guidelines. In some parts of the UK the individual intending to hire the skip is responsible for acquiring any permits in order to legally place a skip on a public road or on public land. This is especially true in pars of London and Scotland. Meanwhile, the other and the majority of local councils expect the skip hire company you employ to apply for and acquire a skip hire permit.
If you read the skip hire guidelines pertaining to your local council and are still unsure whether you are responsible for acquiring a skip hire permit or the company you hire the skip from, simply contact your local council and ask them.
How Long Does it Take to Acquire a Skip Hire Permit?
The time it takes to acquire a skip hire permit varies council to council and case to case. Hence, it is important to be aware that if you contact your local council with a request for a permit you need active within the following few days your application may be subject to a surcharge in order to make that possible. Therefore, it is ill advisable to leave acquiring a skip hire permit until the last minute as, especially if you are responsible for acquiring the permit, you may find it costs you financially, or at worst is not granted in time and that you lose any deposit given to the company with whom you are dealing.
How Long Does a Skip Permit Last?
Skip hire permits are issued with an expiry date. For this reason you cannot acquire a permit and simply keep hold of it until you need our skip. Further, if you require a skip or more than one skip to be placed on a public road for a long duration of time you will almost certainly be required to apply for more than one permit to cover that duration.
Can I Ask a Skip Hire Company to Acquire Permits on My Behalf?
If it is possible to defer the responsibility of acquiring skip permits to the company via which you hire your skip(s), this is strongly advised. Not only is acquiring permits routine for such companies, you will potentially save yourself a lot of time and effort.
Fortunately, and recognising this, most skip hire companies, like Reds Skip Hire in Basildon, Essex, to give one example are more than happy to organise skip hire permits on their customers behalf. It is worth knowing that some skip companies will charge a small fee for this.
