Scaffolding and hoarding

When carrying out any building work/maintenance or removal of any part of a property which is adjacent to the public highway (road, pavement or rear lane), the safety of all users of the highway must be paramount.

Apply for a licence to erect a hoarding on the highway

Please read through the steps below before applying for a hoarding licence.

Applications in all cases should be submitted at least 10 working days before the licence is required.

You are required to submit:

  • A minimum Public liability of Insurance document of £5, 000,000, 
  • A site location plan, 
  • A road space booking and road closure (subject to required Traffic Management) in addition to applying for this licence.
  • The erection of hoarding shall be in accordance with the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations Act 1996.
  • The public shall be excluded from the work area during erection and dismantling of the hoarding / scaffolding.
  • Prior to submitting an application the applicant will liaise with all neighbouring properties/businesses of the location of the hoarding to ensure the owners/occupiers are aware of the anticipated works.

In the event that the licensee fails to comply with any of the conditions of this licence a fine of £260 will be issued to the licensee obtaining this licence. If required, the council also has the right to remove the hoarding and recover the expense of doing so.

The licence fee varies for major roads and minor roads and is calculated in two, four and six month timescales. A renewal is required after six months. 

Minor Road - any unclassified road, excluding any road within a 0.5mile radius of Town Centres/high amenity areas within RBWM.

Major Road - any A & B road plus any road within a 0.5mile radius of Town Centres/high amenity areas within RBWM.

Should the application be withdrawn a £90 administrative charge will be retained by the council and the balance returned to the applicant.

Please ensure the correct licence type is selected, any applications for the wrong type will be refused.

Further guidance and conditions will need to be agreed to prior to applying, these can be seen when applying for a licence.

Minor road fees

Type of road Duration Price
Minor road less than 50m2 0 to two months £730
Minor road more than 50m2 0 to two months £3495
Minor road less than 50m2 two to four months £1270
Minor road more than 50m2 two to four months £3910
Minor road less than 50m2 four to six months £1800
Minor road more than 50m2 four to six months £4420

Major roads fees

Type of road Duration Price
Major road less than 50m2 0 to two months £1440
Major road more than 50m2 0 to two months £6975
Major road less than 50m2 two to four months £2460
Major road more than 50m2 two to four months £7690
Major road less than 50m2 four to six months £3700
Major road more than 50m2 four to six months £8725

It is an offence to place hoarding on the highway without obtaining a licence from the Council. Unauthorised placement carries the below listed fines:

  • Unauthorised hoarding on a minor road (less than 50m2) £1,550
  • Unauthorised hoarding on a minor road (more than 50m2) £6,700
  • Unauthorised hoarding on a major road (less than 50m2) £2,835
  • Unauthorised hoarding on a major road (more than 50m2) £13,900

Apply and pay for: Hoarding licence to erect on or over highway

(Fees as at 1 April 2026)