London Borough of Croydon

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Licence - scaffolding and hoarding

These safe areas are for the protection of the public and can be provided at ground level or a platform at high level.

When it is necessary to place hoardings on the highway around the place of work or scaffolding, permission from the Council is required. This can be obtained by completing a form and providing a sketch. Once permission has been granted, the conditions attached to the licence must be carefully read and adhered to at all times. The basic requirements of the conditions are as follows:

Hoardings:

  • to be a minimum of 2.5m high and to be able to withstand high winds.
  • illumination may be required if street lighting is not adequate
  • must have a smooth finish with no protruding parts
  • pedestrian walkways of satisfactory width are to be maintained or provided and regularly inspected by the contractor.

Scaffolding:

  • during the erection or dismantling period, a safe working area at ground level is required to prevent pedestrians gaining access - this means that in the town centre this work must be carried out outside normal working hours, i.e. after 6.00pm or before 8.00am on a Sunday
  • will require illumination unless all of it is at least 0.45m (18 inches) from a carriageway in a horizontal direction and no part of it over a footway is less than 2.4m (8 feet) above the footway
  • a pedestrian walkway is to be maintained around the scaffold. If this cannot be arranged, the scaffolding needs to be designed to allow safe access under and through it - no trip hazards, no projecting tubes or fittings, covered adequately to provide a working platform and prevent materials or debris falling through. Poles to be highlighted. A reasonable free walking width must be maintained to enable persons in wheelchairs or those with prams, etc. to pass the scaffold safely.

The Council issues licences for scaffolding; can require that hoardings are erected to separate building works from the street;  and ensures hoardings are securely erected. Contravening the regulations is an offence with maximum fines of £5,000 (non-compliance with scaffolding licence), £1,000 plus £2 per day (contravention of Section 172 of the Act) and £200 plus £1 per day (contravention of Section 173 of the Act).

Copies of the Highways Act 1980 can be purchased from Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

 

Contact Details

Contact name
Streetscene
Department
Customer Services
Telephone
020 8255 2700
Email
streetscene@croydon.gov.uk

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