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Skip licence terms and conditions

View our skip licence terms and conditions before you apply.

Any failure to comply with the terms and conditions listed below will render your license invalid. 

Make sure you read and fully understand our conditions before signing the agreement.

  1. A skip is not to be placed on highway without the issue of a licence from Southwark Council.
  2. Only skip suppliers with a valid waste transfer licence will be permitted to provide skips in the London Borough of Southwark and must have public liability insurance at all times.
  3. An authorised skip must be placed on the carriageway only.
  4. A skip shall be positioned so that its longer sides are parallel to the edge of the carriageway as is reasonably practical and so it does not impede the surface water drainage of the highway nor obstruct any manhole or apparatus of any statutory undertaker or the council.
  5. A skip shall not be placed within 20 metres of a road junction, bus stop or standing terminal, pedestrian crossing, entrance to or exit from schools, hospitals or existing works (or any other place specified on the licence). Exceptions can be agreed in advance during the application process.
  6. Where more than one skip is deposited on the highway at any time, the skips shall be positioned as closely as possible to each other, but should not obstruct access to any premises unless the consent of the owner /occupier has been obtained in advance.
  7. The skip shall be clearly marked with the owner's name, telephone number, or address.
    1. All skips shall be marked and lit in accordance with the following:
    2. Each end of the skip shall be painted yellow and comply with the builders skips (marking) Regulations 1984 and any other relevant regulations
    3. Yellow warning lamps shall be placed against, or attached to each outer corner of the skip (or the end corners of the row of skips) between the hours of half an hour before sunset and half an hour after sunrise; and
    4. Warning lamps must be checked daily and kept clean
  8. All painting and markings shall at all times be kept clean and clearly visible for a reasonable distance to persons on the highway on which the skip is placed.
  9. Skips placed on the highway must not contain any flammable explosives, noxious or other dangerous material or any other material which is likely to putrefy or which may become a nuisance to users of the highway.
  10. Fires must not be lit in any skips placed on the highway.
  11. All contents placed within a skip must not be allowed to fall into the highway and any dust placed within the skip must not be allowed to escape. Any spillages which escape from the skip must be cleaned and removed promptly.
  12. The method used for filling the skip shall not impede or cause nuisance or danger to pedestrians and or vehicular traffic.
  13. Where materials require to be placed in a skip from a high level a properly constructed chute must be used and maintained to height of 4.88 meters (16ft) above the footway. When a chute is not required it must be chained to the supporting structure from which it emanates and must not protrude over the highway. Where a chute is used to fill the skip, the skip must be entirely enclosed at the discharge end to prevent any escape of dust or debris. A separate licence will be required before a chute is used.
  14. Any skip placed on the Highway shall be covered at all times unless the skip is being filled or removed.
  15. Materials or rubbish must not be thrown from height or distance into the skip.
  16. No skip lorry or its load shall cross over onto the pavement, unless a properly constructed temporary footpath crossover (approved by the council) has been installed. Alternatively, the company must give over a surety in advance of works as specified by an authorised officer, which will cover the cost of repairing any damage caused.
  17. Any skip placed on the highway may be repositioned or removed if required by the police or a council officer.
  18. No skip shall remain on the highway after the period specified on the licence has expired.
  19. The skip supplier will be responsible for the removal and proper disposal of all skip contents.
  20. The highway shall be left in a clean and tidy condition. Any remedial work that is required will result in the skip supplier being charged accordingly by the council.
  21. Skips will only be deposited, removed or repositioned on the highway between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday and 8am to 1pm on Saturday. Only in exceptional circumstances are skips to be deposited, removed or repositioned outside of the above hours and only with prior consent of an authorised council officer.
  22. The licencee agrees to indemnify Southwark Council, their officers and agents from and against all actions in law or equity, damages, statutory or common law losses, costs, charges and expenses arising in any manner whatsoever:
    1. in respect of personal injury or death of any person or persons arising out of the transportation, placement, collection or operation and or use of the equipment.
    2. in respect of damage or injury to any property whether real or personal (including the property of the Council) arising out of the transportation, placement, collection or operation and or use of the equipment whether by means of defect (latent or otherwise) in the equipment or by an act (omitted or committed) the Company, its officers, its servants or its agents.
  23. Where non-compliance to terms and conditions is witnessed, Southwark Council can issue fixed penalty notices for non-compliance. The following offences are allowed to be enforced by the use of fixed penalty notices.
Offence code Offence Legislation Level of charge Early payment reduction Maximum penalty upon conviction
HL1 Depositing builder’s skip on highway without permission Highways Act (1980) S.139(3) , FPN provision by Schedule 4 of the London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act 2003 £100 £50, if paid within 14 days £1,000.00
HL2 Failure to secure lighting or other marking of builder’s skip Highways Act (1980) S.139(4)(a) , FPN provision by Schedule 4 of the London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act 2003 £100 £50, if paid within 14 days £1,000.00
HL3 Failure to secure marking of builder’s skip with name and address Highways Act (1980) S.139(4)(b) , FPN provision by Schedule 4 of the London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act 2003 £100 £50, if paid within 14 days £1,000.00
HL4 Failure to remove or reposition builder’s skip Highways Act (1980) S.140(3) , FPN provision by Schedule 4 of the London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act 2003 £100 £50, if paid within 14 days £1,000.00
HL5 Failure to secure removal of builder’s skip Highways Act (1980) S.139(4)(c) , FPN provision by Schedule 4 of the London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act 2003 £100 £50, if paid within 14 days £1,000.00
HL6 Failure to comply with conditions of permission Highways Act (1980) S.139(4)(d) , FPN provision by Schedule 4 of the London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act 2003 £100 £50, if paid within 14 days £1,000.00
HL7 Wilful obstruction of highway Highways Act (1980) S.137(1), FPN provision by Schedule 4 of the London Local Authorities and Transport for London Act 2003 £100 £50, if paid within 14 days £1,000.00

Non-compliance or non-payment of a fixed penalty notice can result in the Southwark Council proceeding with the prosecution of the offender.