Highways licensing

 
 

Excavations and Materials

Excavation worksA temporary structure licence is required to allow you to deposit materials or carry out certain excavations on the public highway, however, the City Council will not normally grant consent to store materials on the public highway. Materials should be stored on site.

Excavations

You need consent from the City Council for any excavations in the public highway involving works to pavement lights, smoke extractor panels, vaults, basements or coal chutes.

Fencing around excavations must comply with the following conditions:

  • The fence must not be more than 1.22 metres in height, unless otherwise agreed by the City Council.

  • The fence must be lit from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise. Red lights must be fixed at all four corners of the fence and at 3 metre intervals.

  • The fenced area must contain all spoil, materials and equipment associated with the works. The highway outside the fenced area must be kept clean and tidy at all times.


When work is completed the surface of the public highway must be temporarily reinstated and made safe. You must sweep up all residue and wash down the area. The City Council's approved contractors will carry out all permanent reinstatements at the Licensee’s expense. Where work involves apparatus beneath the highway, apply to the City Council's Transportation Department on 020 7641 6275, for consent under the provisions of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991.

Storage of Materials

In the rare event that the City Council grants a licence for the storage of materials on the public highway, fencing must comply with the following:

  • The fence must not be more than 1.22 metres in height unless otherwise directed and must be constructed with a baulk timber base, wooden uprights and close boarded timber.

  • The fence must be lit from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise. Red lights must be fixed at the top of all four corners of the fence.

  • Materials must never be stored on the footway or outside the fenced area. Storage containers, office cabins, portaloos, caravans and vehicles must not be sited within the fenced area.

  • Building materials must not be placed over gullies or manhole covers. A reasonable gap between the materials and the kerb edge must be left at all times to allow for the unobstructed drainage of surface water.

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