Have you ever tried to apply for  a skip permit???

I ran an experiment today and the results were shocking to say the least.

I sat down as someone with a good knowledge of the waste industry, and the problems I came across baffled even me...

I spent lengthy periods of time on the phone trying to find the right department as most councils do not have a dedicated line for skip hire permits.

Once finally put though to the relevant department I was met by high prices and poor explanations. Most councils have a 3 day application period, so I was unable to get my waste collected until they were ready, GREAT.

Other ways of applying were long, drawn-out online applications where prices were very unclear and again messages of “we will get back to you within days rather than hours”, SMASHING. 

And if that was not enough, some councils now won’t even deal with you (as the home owner) - you have to get the permit and waste collected by one of their approved skip companies, leaving you with limited options in price hungry times, SUPER.

So I have come to the conclusion and the question “why would you hire a skip?”


LOOK AT WHAT YOU COULD HAVE WON...

Using a company like The All Clear Company can make life so much easier, no skip permits, no long calls to councils, no long online forms and no extra costs.

Take a look below at some rules and regulations I came across when trying simply just to get rid of some waste from my make-believe house.

Happy reading and try not to fall asleep...

Highways Act - 1980 - Section 139

Regulations relating to the depositing of a builder's skip on a highway

The Council in exercise of their powers, under Section 139 of the Highways Act 1980 hereby grant you leave to apply for permission to deposit a builder's skip on a highway within its boundaries, subject to the provision that application is made and permission is granted through the Central Register procedure as detailed in the attached letter and subject to the conditions contained in the Schedule hereto.

 Schedule

• Each skip shall be clearly and indelibly marked with the owner's name and with their telephone number
• Each skip shall be deposited on the carriageway only, unless authorised by an officer of the council to be placed elsewhere, and shall be positioned so that its longer sides are parallel to the edge of the carriageway and as near to the edge of the carriageway as is reasonably practicable, and so that it does not impede the surface water drainage of the highway nor obstruct access to any manhole or the apparatus of any statutory undertaker or the council
• Where a maximum of 2 skips is on the highway at any one time, the skips shall be positioned as closely as possible to each other, but not so as to obstruct access to any premises unless the consent of the occupier of those premises has been obtained
• Each skip shall not exceed 5 metres in length by 2 metres in width
• Each skip or group of skips shall while on the highway be marked, guarded and lit in accordance with the following requirements:
  • Each skip shall be guarded by at least 3 traffic cones placed on the carriageway in an oblique line on the approach side of the skip. Where 2 or more skips are deposited in a row, so that the distance between adjacent skips does not exceed 2 metres, the row shall be guarded as if it were 1 skip
  • At night (that is to say between ½ hour after sunset and ½ hour before sunrise). A road danger lamp shall be placed against or attached to each corner of the skip or the end corners of the row of skips where 2 or more skips are deposited in a row and the distance between adjacent skips does not exceed 2 metres, and shall also be placed between each cone and the next
  • The ends of each skip, that is to say the sides of the skip facing traffic in both directions, shall be painted yellow and shall be fitted with vertical red and yellow fluorescent reflective markings on each end

The markings must comply with British Standard BS AU152:1970 and must be marked with that number.

The markings shall be fitted as near as the construction of the skip allows to the top outer corners of the ends of the skip, subject to an overriding maximum height of 1.5 metres above the ground for the top of the marking.

Appendix 1

The markings must not be fitted to any lid and should only be fitted to a door where there is no alternative location on the end of the skip. Where a marking is fitted to a door, the door should be kept closed, unless loading is actually taking place. The painting and markings shall at all times be kept clean.

• No skip when standing in the highway, shall contain any inflammable, explosive, noxious or dangerous material or any material which is likely to putrefy or which otherwise is, or is likely to become a nuisance to users of the highway
• No skip shall be used in such a way that any of its contents fall on to the highway, or that there is an escape of dust from the contents of the skip when standing in the highway
• Each skip shall be removed for emptying as soon as practicable and in any case not later than 2 working days after it has been filled
• No skip shall be on the highway outside the period of permission specified in the Central Register
• All materials placed in each skip shall be properly disposed of and the highway where the skip or skips have been deposited shall be left in a clean and tidy condition on the expiration of this permission
• No skip shall be positioned less than 15 metres from a junction unless authorised by an officer of the council
• We reserve the right to specify any other relevant conditions relating to the placement of a skip which will form part of these Regulations
• At the time of application to deposit a skip(s) on the highway the questions as detailed in Figure 2 must be answered in every respect
• The company as a condition of the issue of this permit must indemnify and insure and keep insured the council for any claims made for the depositing of skips in the highway
• Not withstanding any evidence of agreement to the contrary, the contractor undertakes that they shall not try to assign, sub-let or under-let or otherwise dispose of ownership or title of any skips licensed by the council unless specifically authorised to do so by the council in writing