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A Guide to Skip Permits

BedfordSkipsUK • May 21, 2020

Skip hire is a really easy way of getting rid of your waste. It’s also a great way to ensure you’re disposing of waste in a safe and legal manner, but you might be put off by the need for a skip permit.

At Bedford Skips, we want to help you better understand skip permits and licenses, removing the need to worry about this aspect of your skip hire requirements. While it might seem like a hurdle you have to overcome, it’s not as tricky as it first seems; here’s our guide to skip permits.



When do I need a permit for a skip?


If you’re placing a skip on your own property, the good news is you won’t need a skip permit at all. If it needs to be placed on a public highway or a pavement, then you do need a skip permit. This is essentially letting your local council know that the skip will be there so they can control the traffic in the area – if there are too many skips on one road at any given time, it could cause issues and the council may need to limit how many skips it can allow.


How do I get a skip permit?


How you get a skip permit is up to you, but a competent and professional skip hire company will often be able to arrange a skip permit for you. This takes a lot of the pressure off you, as your chosen provider will have the necessary contacts and information to quickly make the right arrangements on your behalf – just make sure you let them know your skip will need to be on the road or pavement when placing your order.


Who issues skip permits?


Your geographical location will inform who issues skip permits in your area. At Bedford Skips, we cover a number of areas, which means we would be liaising with a number of different councils depending on who the customer is and where they are based. This is the same across the country, where your area will be covered by a specific council. The following is the main council we seek permits from:



How quickly can I get a permit?


At Bedford Skips we like to offer next-day delivery on skips, because we know how important it is for you to keep your site or your home clear. However, if you require a skip permit, you may need to allow for an extra day or so in your plans as local councils can often take differing lengths of time to grant permits and licenses.

We’ll do our utmost to provide as swift a service as possible, but for those who can’t have a skip on their property, but need a rapid response, our wait and load skip hire option means you can negate the need for a skip permit altogether.


What happens if I don’t have a skip permit?


If you have a skip on a public highway or pavement, you could be subject to a fine. It’s usually the duty of the skip hire company to arrange the permit (or check the customer has one) before placing a skip, so it would be the skip company who is hit by the fine if they are not operating within the legal parameters set by the council.

For skip hire in Bedfordshire or the surrounding areas, look no further than Bedford Skips. We can discuss your project – domestic or commercial – and arrange for a skip permit on your behalf where required.

Skip Hire: What You Need to Know

by BedfordSkipsUK • 05 Aug, 2014
Whether carrying out a spot of home DIY, garden landscaping, office refurbishment or heavier construction, hiring a skip is often the most effective and convenient way to dispose of your waste. Skip hire is a relatively straightforward process, so long as a few simple considerations are made, which is why here at Bedford Skips we’ve drawn up a checklist of common issues and FAQs to help you out…

How to Load a Skip Efficiently

by BedfordSkipsUK • 17 Jul, 2011
Step One: Organise The key to efficiently filling a skip is to layer. Different types of item will need to go into the skip at different times. Organising your waste into these separate categories will make the job a lot easier when it comes to filling the skip. Items should be sorted into the four categories below. Flat items Tessellate objects (e.g objects that can be stacked together, such as bricks) Large or bulky items Loose debris Ideally, you want to reduce the size of any large items as much as possible. This can be achieved by breaking these items down into their smaller parts where possible. A lot of furniture, for example, can be disassembled into separate bits. Tables will be much easier to handle if they are broken down into a flat surface and four table legs. This will make it easier to place into a skip. Step Two: Flat items Once you’ve dismantled your large items and have organised your remaining items, it’s time to start filling the skip. The first items to place into your skip are the flat items. These are items like cardboard, wood or plasterboard that will fill the base and can be easily squashed down by items on top. Ensure that any boxes are flattened before placing them in the skip. If you have a particularly large amount of these items, you can place them around the sides of the skip in addition to the base. Step Three: Tessellate objects Items such as bricks that will easily fit together should be placed in next. Try to fill the base with these objects; this will create an even surface. If you can’t fill the entire base evenly, use some foresight to leave a space suitable for some of your remaining items.

Your Guide to Overloaded Skips

by BedfordSkipsUK • 11 Oct, 2008
If you’ve ever hired a skip, you may have noticed the thick lines on the inside. These are fill lines and are used to indicate the maximum fill level of the skip. Overfilling the skip can be dangerous to skip hire staff and the general public, and it will usually land you a hefty fine.
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