Temporary highway licences

Consent is required from Bromley Council to place a storage container on the highway. This permission is given by granting a temporary highway licence. 

Any storage container on a Bromley highway that:

• Is unlicensed
• Is placed on the highway in contravention of the licence conditions
• Has damaged or altered the highway in any way

May result in the responsible person/applicant incurring a penalty charge and/or a request that the container is removed. 
The responsibility for obtaining and following all regulations and fulfilling the conditions of the licence are the sole responsibility of the applicant. 

What are storage containers?

Storage containers are any large containers within which materials/items are stored. Under this licence it includes:

• Roll on, roll off skips - skips that are larger than the traditional builders skips and are often used by construction and industrial organisations. They are wheeled and can thus be loaded onto and off a vehicle. 
• Portable cabins/site huts.

When do I need a licence?

You will require a temporary highway licence from Bromley Council for any storage container that is on one of the following for any period of time:

• Any public highway over which Bromley Council has authority and maintains at the public expense
• Any unadopted road upon which Bromley Council must ensure that the public have a right of passage’and the ability to pass and repass

You will not require a licence on private roads where public access is restricted or controlled.

Transport for London is responsible for licensing any storage containers on a TfL Red Route within the borough, which are:

• The A21 (starts on the borough Boundary with Lewisham on London Road, and comprises Tweedy Road, Kentish Way, Masons Hill, Bromley Common, Hastings Road, Farnborough Common, Farnborough Way and Sevenoaks Road before finishing within the borough at Hewitts Roundabout)
• The A232 (starts on the borough boundary with Croydon at Wickham Road and comprises West Wickham High Street, Glebe Way and Croydon Road before meeting the A21 at Farnborough Common)

All enquiries that relate to these locations should therefore be redirected to TfL - highway licences

Traditional builders skips are not classed as storage containers and should instead be applied for as a skip licence

Will I require additional consent?

There are occasions when you may require additional consent in order to be able to place a storage container on the highway:

• If you wish to place the container in any restricted parking bays, including permit bays, loading bays, short stay parking bays, pay and display bays, and car parks you will also need to apply to suspend the parking bay in question for the duration of the licence. Suspensions are not required for a free parking bay.
• If the container is linked to any connected highway works with a roadworks permit a temporary highway licence is only required if the storage container is to be placed outside of the agreed works area.

Licence conditions

Once your application has been approved, you will be issued with a licence that will contain conditions to ensure that other highway users are safeguarded while the container is in-situ. We reserve the right to add extra conditions depending upon the location and nature of the container. If this applies to your application they will be listed under the special conditions on the licence. 

Cost/renewal of licence

A storage container licence costs £260 and is valid for three months. Please allow two working days for your application to be processed. Any extension or renewal of the licence will require a new application which will be treated in exactly the same way as the first. 

If you wish to extend/renew your licence, please ensure that you allow the council the two working days in order to process the application in good time before you wish the licence to start. 

The £260 covers the licencing of the storage container to be on the highway legally. Where additional consent is required (such as the suspension of a parking bay) there may be extra costs, which will be outlined as part of the consent process. 

Apply

Storage container licence application form

Appeal a refused licence

Anyone who believes they have been unfairly refused a temporary highway licence can appeal.

Appeal a refused temporary highway licence

Data protection and privacy

For information on how we will use, process and store your personal data please see our privacy notice.