A skip licence in Westminster costs £91 for a month, plus a bay suspension from £51 a day. Notice periods, scaffold licence fees and the rules for 2026.
A skip licence in Westminster costs £91 and lasts one month, covering up to two skips. That is only part of the bill. Because almost every Westminster street is either a parking bay or a yellow line, you also need a parking bay suspension or a yellow line dispensation for every day the skip sits on the road, and those are charged daily from £51. Scaffolding and hoardings on the pavement need a separate temporary structure licence, which starts at £648.
This page sets out what each licence costs, how much notice the council wants, and the rules a skip or scaffold has to follow, using Westminster City Council’s skip licences page, its v3.2 skip application form dated March 2026, and its temporary structure licence fee table updated on 11 September 2026. We checked all of them on 12 November 2026.
Who applies
Either you or the skip company can apply, but the form asks for both: the person filling the skip, the skip company, and the name of the person responsible for the skip on site. Most skip hire firms in central London will handle the application for you and add the council charges to the hire price, so ask when you book whether the quote includes the licence and the suspension.
What a skip on the road costs in Westminster
You pay two things: the £91 licence, and a daily charge for the space the skip occupies. Westminster counts one parking space as 5 metres and allows one skip per space.
| Days on the street | Bay suspension, zones A, C and D (per space) | Bay suspension, zones B, E, F and G (per space) | Yellow line dispensation (per skip, all zones) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | £51 | £55 | £51 |
| Days 2 to 5 | £55 a day | £59 a day | £55 a day |
| Days 6 to 42 | £84 a day | £90 a day | £84 a day |
| Day 43 onwards | £112 a day | £121 a day | £112 a day |
The charges climb steeply after day five, so it pays to have the skip delivered when the work is ready to fill it, not a week before. If your zone is unclear, our guide to Westminster parking zones lists them.
Two worked examples from the council’s table:
- A skip in a resident bay in zone B for seven days: £55 for day one, £59 a day for days two to five (£236), and £90 a day for days six and seven (£180). That is £471 in suspension charges, plus the £91 licence: £562 in council charges.
- A skip on a single yellow line for three days: £51 plus two days at £55, which is £161, plus the £91 licence: £252.
Add a £20 short notice fee if your application arrives within 10 calendar days of the start date and the council still grants it.
How much notice you need
The March 2026 form sets the minimum notice:
- 10 working days, before 2pm, for a skip in a resident bay, a pay-to-park bay or any other parking bay;
- 3 working days for a skip on a yellow line.
Westminster adds an extra day when a bank holiday falls in the notice period, and two extra days over Easter and Christmas. If you are clearing out a flat over the festive period, apply early in December.
Where you cannot put a skip
The form is clear about the places the council will refuse:
- red routes, the main roads run by Transport for London;
- security zones;
- double yellow lines, except in exceptional circumstances;
- anywhere inside the Royal Parks;
- anywhere it would cause an obstruction.
A licence for more than one skip at the same address is only issued in exceptional circumstances.
What can and cannot go in the skip
No asbestos, in any circumstances, in a skip on the public highway. If you find or suspect asbestos, Westminster’s form points you to its Environmental Health Team. Older Westminster buildings often have asbestos in ceiling tiles, floor tiles, boiler cupboards and textured coatings, so if a builder is stripping out a pre-2000 interior, ask about an asbestos survey before the skip arrives. Electrical items, fridges, gas bottles, paint and batteries also need separate disposal; our pages on bulky waste collection and the recycling centre cover where they go.
Rules once the skip is on the street
The skip must sit only in the bay or on the stretch of yellow line named on your suspension or dispensation, and only on the days and times shown. The suspended bay is not a parking space for your car or a builder’s van. The skip must be moved if a police officer, traffic warden or council marshal asks.
Under national law, a skip on the road must also carry red and yellow reflective markings on its ends, be lit at night, and show the skip owner’s name and phone number. Breaking the conditions of a skip licence, or putting a skip on the road without one, is an offence under section 139 of the Highways Act 1980.
Refunds. If you finish early, you can claim back unused days of a bay suspension if you tell the suspensions team by 2pm the day before you stop needing the space, by phone and then in writing. Yellow line dispensations are not refunded for unused time.
Scaffolding and hoardings: the temporary structure licence
Any scaffolding on or over the public pavement or road in Westminster, and any hoarding on the highway, needs a temporary structure licence from the council’s Highways Licensing team before it goes up. Your scaffolding firm or main contractor normally applies. A cherry picker, scissor lift or other powered access platform on the road needs a separate cranes and temporary traffic order application.
The fee depends on how long the structure stays up, how much of the highway it covers, and whether the road is classed as “major” or “minor” in the council’s road category list (the current version is dated September 2026):
| Duration | Minor road, under 50m² | Minor road, over 50m² | Major road, under 50m² | Major road, over 50m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 2 months | £648 | £3,186 | £1,296 | £6,371 |
| 3 to 4 months | £1,083 | £3,476 | £2,167 | £6,952 |
| 5 to 6 months | £1,566 | not offered | £3,132 | not offered |
Three points from the council’s conditions that affect homeowners:
- No licence costs more. Westminster says that if you put up a temporary structure without a licence you could be charged up to double the original fee, and an unlicensed hoarding is treated as an illegal obstruction that must come down at once.
- Basements and demolition are charged at the top rate. If the structure is linked to demolition, basement excavation, a new build or façade retention, the fee is automatically set at the highest rate for the road category, with the licence issued for the maximum term.
- Withdrawing costs money. You get a full refund if you withdraw within four working days, half back after that until the licence is issued, and nothing once it has been issued. Renewal is not automatic.
What the scaffold must look like
From Westminster’s scaffolding guidance:
- at least 1.5m of clear pavement width and 2.44m of headroom for pedestrians, unless the council agrees otherwise;
- poles at least 0.45m back from the kerb, and at least 4.88m clearance over the road if the scaffold projects beyond the kerb;
- lit from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, with white lights inside and red lights outside at each end and every 3m;
- standards painted white or sleeved in red and white plastic up to 2.44m;
- a sign saying “Scaffold is incomplete” while it is going up;
- a protective fan where anything could fall on people or traffic below, for example during masonry work.
Hoardings must be smooth, close-boarded timber at least 2.44m high, with doors opening inwards or sliding, and lit with red lights at the top every 3m. Adverts on a hoarding need separate approval from the planning department.
If the work itself needs permission, for instance new windows or a roof alteration in a conservation area, see our guide to Article 4 and planning permission in Westminster. For other council charges for the coming year, see Westminster council fees 2027, and for parking bay suspensions for a removal van rather than a skip, see our parking bay suspension guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a skip licence in Westminster? £91, valid for one month and covering up to two skips. You also pay a daily parking bay suspension or yellow line dispensation for the days the skip is on the street, from £51 for the first day.
How long does it take to get a skip licence in Westminster? Apply at least 10 working days ahead, before 2pm, for a skip in a parking bay, or 3 working days ahead for a yellow line. Allow an extra day for a bank holiday and two extra days over Christmas and Easter.
Can I put a skip on a double yellow line in Westminster? Only in exceptional circumstances. Skips are not allowed on red routes, in security zones or in the Royal Parks.
Can I park my car in the suspended bay next to the skip? No. The suspended space is only for the skip, and Westminster’s conditions say it cannot be used to park private or company vehicles.
Do I need a licence for scaffolding in Westminster? Yes, if it stands on or over the public pavement or road. It needs a temporary structure licence from Highways Licensing, from £648 for up to two months on a minor road under 50 square metres.
What happens if a skip or scaffold has no licence? An unlicensed skip on the highway is an offence under the Highways Act 1980, and Westminster says an unlicensed temporary structure could cost up to double the normal licence fee and be ordered down.
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