Temporary highway licences

Consent from Bromley Council is required to use any form of mechanical machinery on the public highway. This permission is given by granting a temporary highway licence.

A Cherry Picker licence can cover the following type of machinery:  

• Cherry Picker: The common name given to a mobile elevated work platform that consists of a platform or bucket at the end of a hydraulic lifting arm usually attached to a vehicle.
• Crane: Any form of machinery that is used to move heavy objects by suspending them from a projecting arm or beam. 
• Scissor Lifts: An elevated work surface that is raised or lowered by the closing or opening of crossed supports pivoted like the two halves of a pair of scissors. 
• Hiab: A lorry loader crane that uses hydraulic attachments to pick and deposit material onto a long bed at the rear of the vehicle. 

The responsibility for obtaining and following all regulations and fulfilling the conditions of the licence is solely that of the applicant. 

Any machinery placed 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 machinery is removed. 

When do I need a licence?

You will require a temporary highway licence from Bromley Council for any machinery that will create a temporary obstruction for a period of time on one of the following: 
•    Any public highway over which we maintain at the public expense.
•    Unadopted highways which we must ensure that the public have a right of passage. 

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

Transport for London is responsible for licensing any mechanical structure 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

Will I require additional consent?

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

Traffic management and site plans 

If you are looking to close the footway as part of your application, we will ask you to submit a site plan which you show where you intend to place the machinery, the extent of the pavement that will be closed by it and how other highway users will be safeguarded. 

If the machinery will require closure of the highway meaning that it will alter either/both pedestrian and traffic flows, we will ask you to submit a traffic management plan in which you will outline to us how you will facilitate this within your planned work. 

When making the application, the online process should guide you as to what plan is required for your proposed works. However, please note that we reserve the right to ask for any supporting documentation later on in the application process should we deem this to be necessary. 

Other additional consent

In addition to a traffic management plan there may be other types of consent that you require: 

• If you wish to place the machinery 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 machinery will require freedom of movement to be restricted for a limited period of time it may also require a temporary road closure.
• If connected works involve a roadwork permit a temporary highway licence is only required if the machinery is to be placed outside of the agreed works area. 

Licence conditions

Once your application has been approved, you will be issued with the licence which will contain conditions to ensure that other highway users are kept safe whilst the machinery is in-situ. 

We reserve the right to add extra conditions depending upon the location and nature of the machinery. If this applies to your application they will be listed under the special conditions on the licence. 

Cost/renewal of licence

A cherry picker licence costs £34 and is valid for a one day period and at one location only. An individual application will be required for every day and/or location that you wish the machinery to be in-situ. The £34 fee covers the licensing of the machinery to be on the highway legally. Where additional consent is required there may be extra costs.  

We will look to acknowledge and grant all applications that do not require traffic management plans within two working days. More complex applications requiring traffic management plans or road closures may take longer as we co-ordinate this between different council departments and organisations. We advise you to give us as much notice as possible to consider and process your application.

Apply 

Cherry picker licence application form. 

Appeals

Anyone who believes that they have been unfairly refused a licence can appeal

Appeal a refused licence

Data protection and privacy

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