Scaffolding and hoarding licence

Temporary structures

Scaffolding and hoarding licence

When carrying out any building work, maintenance or removing part of a property next to a public road, footway or rear lane, the safety of people on the road is paramount.

You must provide safe areas at ground level or a platform at high levels.

When it is necessary to put up hoarding/scaffolding on the footway or carriageway around the place of work, you must seek permission from the council by obtaining a valid temporary structure licence.

Once you receive it, make sure you read all the terms and conditions which come with the licence. This will help you comply with the requirements.

How to apply

Step 1

An application for a temporary structure licence must be made at least 10 working days before the date work is proposed to start. If you apply too late, we may refuse to grant you a licence for the requested period.

A pre-inspection site meeting will inspect everything including the costs involved. This will determine the price of the temporary structure licence.

The only cost we can provide before this inspection is for the highway occupancy fee which is as follows:

  • £375 per month
  • £300 per week

Step 2

A scaffolding licence can only be requested by a scaffolding company or a company that has qualified scaffolders with CISRS (Construction Industry Scaffolders Record Scheme) cards. They must also have a scaffolding safety certificate issued by an awarding body such as CHAS or Alcumus.

The scaffolding safety certificate and the insurance document must be issued to the same company name. Failure to provide this relevant information as stated will result in your application being denied.

Step 3

Follow the link and create an account. Once registered, you can make a request for a scaffolding licence.

Please provide any design plans, traffic management plans or construction management plans with your application. This will help the highways licensing engineer to familiarise themselves with the work before you start.

Apply for a scaffolding and hoarding licence

Step 4

The designated highway licensing engineer who manages the specified area will contact you and arrange a date for the pre-inspection meeting to take place.

The meeting involves:

  • outlining the work area
  • making a note of the dimensions
  • highlighting potential issues with:
    • street furniture
    • parking suspensions
    • footway/carriageway closures
    • coordinating the works with other works in and around the area.

Step 5

Once you have provided all the relevant documentation and made the required payments, you will be issued with a temporary structure licence.

You MUST display a copy of your licence on your structure no higher than six feet high on the first day of the structure being erected.

Failure to do so will result in a fixed penalty notice being issued for failing to follow the terms and conditions of the licence.

Step 6

Obtaining a temporary structure licence means you are agreeing to follow our terms and conditions. Failing to do so could result in fixed penalty notices being issued and legal action being taken against your company.