To work on or occupy the public highway, you must obtain permission from the council. We will issue the appropriate highway licence once we have assessed your proposals.
Highway licences are issued for activities such as:
- placing and storing building materials on the highway
- erecting and placing a temporary structure on the highway such as scaffolding, hoarding, gantry, mobile tower
- placing a skip on the highway
- operating a crane on, or over the highway
- excavating the highway
- temporary or permanent oversailing of the highway
- excavating the highway to maintain existing apparatus or install new apparatus in the highway you will need to apply for a Section 50 street works licence
You also need permission to temporarily close roads, or ban certain traffic movements, if this is needed to help carry out your works safely.
Under no circumstances should you carry out your activities without having approval from us. Any unlicensed activity on the highway will be viewed as an obstruction and the responsible party may be subject to a penalty fine and/or prosecution. Any activity that breaches the terms and conditions of the licence may be subject to further penalties.
Licence conditions
All highway licences are subject to terms and conditions which you must familiarise yourself with before you apply. Additional bespoke conditions may also apply which will be communicated to you when we approve your licence.
Before you apply
Only registered companies can apply for a licence. Consider red routes, Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) Planning Condition, and parking suspensions. For more details, visit our guidelines for licence applications. If your highway licence involves any part of a temporary structure oversailing a private property, you must obtain permission from the property owner and submit this with your application.
Applying for a licence
You can apply online for a mobile lifting licence or a temporary traffic order.
For other highway licence applications:
- Download and complete an application form.
- Email it to: [email protected]
- For an accessible version of the file, email [email protected]
Request an application form
You can request an application form:
- by email: [email protected].ukwith your name and postal address
- by phone: call 020 7361 2424 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm)
What happens next
Once we receive your application, we’ll send you payment details. After payment we’ll review your application within 10 working days and email you about approval or if we need more information. A different process is applied for mobile lifting operations, temporary traffic orders and oversail licences. Please refer to details for the respective licence.
Cancellation and refunds
If you cancel your licence after payment, you may still be charged a fee. Providing we have not processed the licence already, the following refunds will apply:
- full refund If cancelled within 2 working days
- 50% refund if cancelled within 3-5 working days
- 25% refund if cancelled after 5 working days
This does not apply for temporary traffic orders or oversail licences.
Extending a highway licence
Some highway licences can be extended. To extend your licence:
- Fill in a new application form
- Email it to [email protected] before your current licence expires (no later than 24 hours before expiry on a working day).
You also need to pay your application fee and any suspension fees that you owe. Where your licence is issued based on the actual duration of your proposed works, rather than a fixed licence period, a different process applies. Please refer to details within the drop-down menu for the respective licence.
Repairs and refunds
After finishing your work or removing the temporary structure, you must notify us by writing. We will inspect the site for any damage to the footway, road surface, or street furniture caused by your activities. You will have to pay for any necessary repairs. The Council reserves the right to reinstate damaged highways surfaces or assets at the licensee’s cost. In some cases, approval may be given to competent contractors to carry out the work, subject to certain conditions and inspections.
If no repairs are needed, we will refund any deposit we owe you. Refund requests must be made in writing within six months after your last licence expired. Allow up to 28 days to receive the refund. This does not apply to skip licences, mobile lifting licences, temporary traffic orders or oversail licences.
Costs
The cost of the different types of highway licences varies according to the activity you propose to carry out. There may also be a fee associated with holding your deposit, which is non-refundable. You can find details of the fees on each license page