The City of London is the Highway Authority for the City of
London (except for red routes - see note
below). This means the City of London must licence or approve
certain activities you may wish to undertake on the public highway.
The most frequently needed licences or approvals are described
below, and these pages allow you to discuss your proposed works
online. For filming related applications please click
here.
Licences
| Type of licence |
Default
timing |
Tables and chairs
licence
Under the 1980 Highways Act a licence is
required to place tables and chairs on the public highway or City
Walkway. Interested parties must submit an application to the City
of London, who assess the suitability of the site against specific
criteria. These include pavement width, access for people with
disabilities, existing fire escape routes, refuse disposal, and
noise and disturbance levels.
You can apply for the
tables and chairs licence online.
Contact Sue Bacon (020 7332 1708)
|
The licence is valid for one year. Please allow a minimum of
three months to process the application, for both new licences and
for renewals. |
Scaffolding and hoarding
licences
Any structure, scaffold or hoarding that is
erected on the public highway must have a licence. The conditions
under which each licence is granted can only be agreed at a site
meeting. Through this website you can arrange for a site meeting
with an officer from the highways section of the Department of
Environmental Services.
You can apply for the
scaffolding and hoarding licence online.
Contact Carl Vaughan/Bob Broughton (020 7332
1104/3578)
|
In total, allow two weeks for
arranging a site meeting, completion of the application form,
supplying payment, and processing of the application. |
Temporary road
closures
Where works require the temporary closure of
a highway (from roads to footways or City walkways), diversions,
signage and public notifications must be arranged, and a temporary
traffic management order must be written. These can only be agreed
via a personal visit to the Traffic Management Office. Through the
website you can arrange for an appointment to visit this
one-stop-shop. You
can apply for temporary road closures online.
Contact Centre (020 7332 3553)
|
The minimum notice period is six
weeks from your visit to the Traffic Management office. Shorter
notice periods are accepted only in emergencies, where there is a
possible risk to life or damage to property. |
Parking
dispensations
Please call the Contact Centre on
(020 7332 3553 / 3554) to apply for dispensations.
Download our
prices.
You can apply for
parking dispensations online. |
A minimum of three working days
is required to process and issue dispensation requests.
Dispensations will be issued at less than three days notice only
for disabled drivers and emergency works, where the emergency
constitutes a danger to the public.
|
Parking bay
suspensions
Please call the Contact Centre on
(020 7332 3553 / 3554) to apply for suspensions. Download
our
prices.
You can apply for
parking bay suspensions online.
|
Payment must be made at least
three working days before the suspension is due to start. |
Abnormal
loads
Officers must approve the route of any
abnormal load moving through the City, to check for low bridges,
underground structures, width restrictions, road closures,
roadworks and one-way systems. This site allows you to submit your
route for this purpose.
You can apply for abnormal
loads approval online.
Contact Paul Monaghan/Paul Levett (020 7332
3122/1544)
|
At least three days
notice is required. |
Daily
roadworks
In order to co-ordinate all the streetworks
in the City, the City of London seeks as much information as
possible from utilities about where, when and how they expect to
excavate the highway. This site allows utilities to submit their
daily whereabouts directly to the Traffic Management Office and
stores each day's works list for each utility, so that the previous
day's list can be easily recalled, altered and resubmitted.
Contact Traffic Management Office 020 7606 3030, ex
2345
|
Lists to be submitted at least 24 hours in
advance, and before 3.00pm on Fridays. |
Building and other
materials on the highway; skips
It is not permitted to deposit materials or
skips anywhere on the highway within the city. If such a
requirement occurs, it must within the confines of a
hoarding for
which a licence is required.
Contact Carl Vaughan/Bob Broughton (020 7332
1104/3578)
|
|
Projection
licences
A
licence will be required for structures that project over or
under a highway.
Contact Ben Buttimore (020 7332 1489)
Richard Sapsted (020 7332 1580) |
The licence should be obtained
before construction of the projection. Please allow four weeks for
processing once other consents have been granted. The licence is
valid for the life of the building |
|
Technical approval of highway structures
Whilst it is the owners responsibilities to support the highways,
the City of London, as highway authority, has a duty to ensure that
any structure, new, existing, or temporary, that spans or supports
the highway is fit for purpose. Technical Approval is the means by
which the City ensures that as far as reasonably practicable such
structures are safe and serviceable in use and that adequate
provision for inspection and maintenance has been made. It further
ensures that the highway user and any others affected are protected
from any adverse effects.
Download our guidance notes
here (120kb)
Contact Paul Levett / Paul Monaghan (020 7332 1544 /
3122) |
The City and its Consultants
endeavour to provide an initial response within three to four
weeks. Acceptance of the AIP can take up to three months, but
can take longer in exceptional cases. |
Prices - activities on the public highway
Download our
Prices for 2008 here.
Red routes
Please note that Transport for London (TfL) has become the
Highway Authority for all red routes throughout London. In the
City, these include Victoria Embankment, Blackfriars Underpass,
Upper and Lower Thames Street, Byward Street, Farringdon Street,
New Bridge Street, Blackfriars Bridge, London Bridge, Gracechurch
Street, Bishopsgate, Norton Folgate, Goodman's Yard, Mansell Street
and parts of Minories. For these streets, the above licences or
approvals are granted either by TfL or by their street managers.
For all issues relating to TfL streets, please tel 0845 305 1234.
However, if you are unsure whether or not this applies to your
request, use the options detailed above and we will be glad to
help.
If you require confirmation whether an area of land is public
highway the
Local Land Charges section can provide maps.
Problems?
If you experience difficulties whilst using this online service,
please email.