Skip Hire Permits

We get asked about skip hire permits loads, so thought we’d provide a simple blog to help answer it!

 

Do I need a permit?

Under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, each local Council has powers as the Roads Authority to minimise disruption to traffic and damage to the public highways. This means, in order to correlate multiple potential disruptions on the road (such as broadband lines being installed, drainage works etc.) the Council will issue permits to each contractor for a specific period of time. This prevents multiple utilities working on the same area of road at the same time and causing a nuisance.

Therefore, if you would like to deposit a skip on the road – we need to apply for a skip permit. Edinburgh and West Lothian Councils pass the responsibility of organising the permits onto the skip hire companies. This means, that if the skip is becoming a nuisance, even if a permit is in place, then the Council can request the skip be collected immediately. If, however, you have private property such as a driveway or a garden, then as the property owner/tenant you don’t need to obtain any permission from the Council.

 

What if I don’t bother?

If you deposit a skip on the public highway and fail to obtain a permit and to adhere to the permit conditions, this often results in a Fixed Penalty Notice being issued direct to the skip hire company. These fines range in cost, however are normally over £120.00. As a result, no legitimate skip hire company will be willing to deposit a skip on Council property without a permit being in place.

 

How much does a Skip Hire Permit Cost?

Permit cost – permits vary in cost for each local authority. Some are only £40.00 for up to 3 months; others are £120.00 for only a month. Exact costs can be confirmed before applying to ensure all Council costs are transparent.

 

Any other permit costs?

Suspended parking/ yellow lines – If the skip is to go on a single yellow line, you only need a skip permit. If it is to go in a parking bay however, the Council often requires Suspended parking. This means the Council charges for the use of the parking space as if a car had been parked in it for the entire time the skip is there. As you can imagine, this can get very expensive very quickly. To further complicate matters, parking bays vary in price depending upon the street and hours they are active!

Once the permit is issued, there are a number of conditions that most Councils insist upon. For example, as the grass verges are not designed for heavy vehicles, skips are never allowed to be deposited on grass verges or pathways. The goal is to protect the Council property from damage and to minimise the disturbance to pedestrians and other road users. Therefore, if the conditions are not met, the Council can demand that the skip is removed immediately, issue a Fixed Penalty Notice or even both!

 

How do I apply for a skip hire permit?

In most instances, it’s easier for the skip hire company to apply for the permit on your behalf. Most Councils require a couple of maps showing the exact location for the skip to go, insurance details to be supplied and require the completion of their specific permit application form. It can be done directly between the customer and the Council, however it’s often much simpler to let us complete the paperwork and get it approved for you.

 

Alternative Solutions?

A simple solution is if you can, to get your skip delivered onto your own private property such as a driveway or garden.

If you need to put a skip on the road, the other alternative is a wait & load skip. This means the driver arrives and lowers the skip from the rear of the vehicle ready for loading. 30 minutes waiting time is included in the price for no extra charge, and then once you’ve filled it they put the full skip back on the vehicle and depart with it. This has the massive advantage of not requiring either a permit or suspended parking. A disadvantage however is that the skip needs to be loaded while the driver is waiting with it.

 

Need to know more?

Give us a call on 01506 411141 to find out how we can help. Alternatively, drop us an inquiry via our contact form and we’ll get back to you ASAP.