My mum and dad’s next door neighbour has had building work going on since Christmas which has involved a skip being dropped on the pavement in front of both of their properties.

Today the neighbour informed my mum that they were going to cut down the bush in my mum’s garden because it was blocking the pavement for people walking round the skip.

My mum is not happy.

Some questions before I talk to Building Control.

1) Can you drop a skip on a pavement?

2) Should it have lights if it is projecting into the road?

3) Does it require a permit?

and

4) Can you burn building waste on site?

Today your mum and dad should tell neighbour to do one!

My mum was very polite and said that she would trim back the offending bush at the weekend. She also asked me to investigate the legality of the situation. £1000 fine if they contravene any of the local planning rules apparently.

Don’t **** with my mum.

1) Can you drop a skip on a pavement? No

2) Should it have lights if it is projecting into the road? Possibly. It should be signed and guarded, this may involve lights.

3) Does it require a permit? Yes but only if not sited entirely on private land, normally handled by the skip company/contractor. It’s a licence not a permit.

and

4) Can you burn building waste on site? Doubt it. Only some plant material can be burned on site and this requires an exemption and registration with the Environmental Agency.

https://www.gov.uk/apply-skip-permit

I think even with a permit it would be illegal to obstruct the pavement.

If they cut down the bush without permission, then that’s criminal damage.

2) Should it have lights if it is projecting into the road? Possibly. It should be signed and guarded, this may involve lights.

Last time I hired a skip, I was told by the skip company that if it’s on the road they’re legally obliged to fasten a flashing light on it (which they did).

A bit of investigation would suggest that you can’t put them on a pavement. Also, depending on the local authority, it may need cones, lights and the phone number of the hire company displayed on it. It has non of these.

The penalty for no compliance is a £1000 fine.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffjQ7dyr92o[/video]

Last time we had a skip they would only put it on the drive. Not allowed to put it on the pavement or verge (which was large enough to accommodate it) and if I wanted it on the road that required a permit which we probably wouldn’t get because it’s a narrow close.

1) No.
2) Probably not, but needs reflective strips to be visible. In much the same way if your park you car – tail lights/reflectors pointing towards approaching traffic.
3) Don’t know.
4) Depends on what’s being burnt, but even still the rules on smoke control still apply – check with your local council. But most skip companies don’t allow fires anyway.

No
Yes
Yes (if on the road)
Depends what’s being burnt – you shouldn’t burn stuff with oil (so rubber, etc) and the smoke must not cause a nuisance to the neighbours.

I’d tell her to sod off.

Don’t **** with my mum.

Certainly will not! Sounds scary! I’ll wait till she gets that bush trimmed

The highways act is your freind, illegal to obstruct the footway, report it to the council and state it makes it difficult for wheelchair and pram users to pass, that usually gets them out, can be done anonomously

The Highway is any public land the public have access to eg verge, road or footway.

A friend was killed ~20years ago riding his motorbike into an unlit skip at night.

There was a scruffy manky skip on my commute, in the road, unlit, no name – just knew its contents were more than likely going to end up dumped in a nice layby somewhere.

The burning of rubbish (in my case genuinely just good clean dry wood) I can honestly say from first hand experience Is not allowed by any business, especially so if a **** nimby lives near by.

If they cut down the bush without permission, then that’s criminal damage.

unless it is a leylandi, then according to most people this is perfectly fine….

seems to be the season for inconsiderate neighbours

I’d certainly be getting a “before photo” of the bush. And if there needs to be an after then I think criminal damage and trespass would be coming into it as well.

Is the old girl up to climbing on their roof with a view to plopping down their chimney?

We had a problem with the neighbours’ gardener burning building rubbish. The builders would put their crap in the skip and the gardener would get it out and burn it: MDF, Ply, old gloss painted wood, polythene and polystyrene etc. You name it…
After a week of talking to the neighbours and their saying they’d sort it out, a call to Environmental Health (I think, as all departments were passing the buck) resulted in a site visit from an eager young man who took some samples of the ash and left a leaflet highlighting the possible penalties for burning building waste. No more bonfires…

The burning of rubbish (in my case genuinely just good clean dry wood) I can honestly say from first hand experience Is not allowed by any business, especially so if a **** nimby lives near by.

So it’s ok to break the law if no one sees you?

Today the neighbour informed my mum that they were going to cut down the bush in my mum’s garden because it was blocking the pavement for people walking round the skip.

Bollocks to that. They can’t trim it and they can’t “make” her trim it either. I hope she isn’t bullied into this.

They probably can if it’s is genuinely blocking the pavement

It is protruding by about 4″ max. The skip is considerably bigger.

They’ve upset her. If my dad had come out of the house he would have been upset too. They are in their late 70 and don’t need this shit.

I will be speaking to the council tomorrow.

A near neighbour had a bad habit of burning rubbish in his back garden. Someone complained to the right people. Next time he had a fire, the fire brigade and two police arrived promptly. That was his last.

So it’s ok to break the law if no one sees you?

POSTED 8 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST
Well I’m not going to have a copper sat next to me whilst using my phone and driving am I 🙄

Apparently: http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/cds-best-way-to-get-rid-of-them

Phone the skip company, tell them you’ve spoken to Highways Dept and reported the skip. They’ll come and remove it. Works for me where I live. None of the points are anything to do with Building Control.

If its on the pavement, its a public service they are offering, Id stick a sign on it saying ‘Please Fill With Unwanted Rubbish’

Just spoken to a very nice lady at the council who must spend all of her time listening to people whinging.

Skips = Highways

Fires = Environment with a double check against Building Control as it will be a stipulation in the planning consent not to burn building waste

Last time we had a skip they would only put it on the drive. Not allowed to put it on the pavement or verge (which was large enough to accommodate it) and if I wanted it on the road that required a permit which we probably wouldn’t get because it’s a narrow close.

Yup, that was my experience too.

However if the bush is overhanging then it should be cut back regardless.

Unless your Local Authority uses Building Control to check Planning Consent Conditions there is no available building control legislation that stops stuff being burnt on site, skips being put in your Mum’s garden.
As I posted phone the skip company, I usually get a couple a month moved for being on the pavement or being unlit.
Does your Local Authority have a Streetcare dept?

I usually get a couple a month moved for being on the pavement or being unlit.

Blimey, do you live on a building site?

A friend was killed ~20years ago riding his motorbike into an unlit skip at night

My brother mashed his leg crashing his motorbike into an unlit skip too. Got a big payout, but his leg’s never been the same and the resulting infection may have been responsible for the bone cancer he’s been fighting for the last decade.
Get those bastards fined.

Report the skip. Its not allowed on the pavement. Local authority will get it shifted

if the bush is overhanging then it should be cut back regardless

If she refuses to cut it back the council can do it and then charge her….

As above, deal with it via the skip company. If you get a man with a clipboard involved then he will insist that the hedge is also cut back in the interests of ‘fairness’.