Posted on 21st January 2021 by Hintons
Before ordering a skip to your home or business, you need to make sure you have a suitable place to keep it. You can’t just place a skip anywhere — there are rules and regulations in place to protect the general public. In some cases, you may need to obtain permits from your local authority.
Need a skip? Know where you can and can’t place one before ordering. In this article, find out all you need to know about skip placement.
Can you put a skip on private land?
You can place a skip on private land as long as there is suitable access. Popular areas include driveways and gardens.
Because you own the land, there should be no risk to public safety. If you choose to have your skip placed on your driveway, you need to make sure that the skip is well away from a public footpath.
If you choose to have your skip placed in your garden, you must make sure there is suitable access. Moving skips, even small skips, into a garden can be a challenge.
Can you put a skip on a road?
You can place your skip on a public road – but you’ll need a permit. This is to ensure that the area you are placing your skip on is not going to be a threat to public safety. Your local authority will issue the permit after verifying that the road is suitable. In some cases, you may be required to have lights and cones around your skip as an added safety precaution. Most skip suppliers arrange the skip permit and extra safety equipment on your behalf. Just order a skip, explain where you wish to have it placed and they’ll do the rest.
If you wish to place your skip on a road that requires a parking permit, you will also need to organise a bay suspension with your local council. This must be arranged before either you or your skip supplier applies for a permit.
Remember, you could be fined up to £1000 if you place a skip on a public road without a permit.
If you only need the skip for a short time, there are other options available to you that don’t require obtaining a skip permit. A ‘wait and load’ skip service allows for a skip to be filled and removed in a short space of time — up to 30 minutes. Your skip supplier will remain on site while the skip is being filled, and a permit isn’t required for the service.
Where can’t you place a skip?
- Public footpaths/pavements
Skips aren’t legally allowed to be placed on public footpaths or pavements because they present a safety risk to pedestrians. As large, robust containers, they can easily cause damage to pedestrians and cyclists who use the footpath in dark or foggy conditions. Even with suitable safety precautions, skips still aren’t permitted on public footpaths because they can block access.
- Sites that are inaccessible to lorries, such as those without a dropper kerb
A site must be accessible by lorry so that the skip hire company can deliver and remove the skip safely. The most common type of area inaccessible to lorries are those without dropped kerbs. If you do wish to have your skip placed on private land, you must make sure it is accessible for lorries.
- On a weak surface not suited for holding heavy loads
Skips are heavy containers that only get heavier as you dispose of your waste. If the surface of your site is weak, it may crack under the weight of the skip.
Hinton’s Waste will deliver your skip wherever you need it. And if you need a skip permit, we can help out with that too. Everything you need to safely dispose of your domestic or commercial waste is available right here from Hinton’s. We offer skips in a wide range of sizes — from 6-yard midi skips to 40-yard roll on roll off skips. And if you’re looking for alternatives to traditional skip hire, we even offer wait and load skip services and grab hire. Whatever you need, we’re here to help.
Contact our team today to hire a skip for your project.