Street obstructions policy

Date updated: 15/04/2025

Street obstructions policy

The City of London Corporation has a policy to control obstructions on the streets to ensure they are safe. This is particularly important where footfall is high or the footways are narrow. It is a similar approach to Transport for London's, which aims to minimise the number of items that block the footway.

Obstructions will not be allowed in the following circumstances

on footways which are narrower than two metres
on footpaths identified as having a high footfall (such as transport hubs, stations and related pedestrian routes)
where they interrupt safe pedestrian movement (regardless of the width of the pavement)

Examples of obstructions

freestanding advertisement boards (A Boards)
abandoned bicycles
bicycles secured to street furniture or railings/barriers
potted plants or planters
distribution stands (newspapers and magazines)
tables and chairs
display stands
unauthorised bins, bags and litter bins

The City Corporation is keen to work with businesses to support their needs and look for on-streets alternative where obstructions are not tolerated.

If you are concerned about an obstruction contact our Street Environment Team.

020 7332 4970

Email the SEO team