Guide to temporary structures and section 50 licences

Details about temporary structure licences and how to apply for one or more of them.

Guide contents

• Guide to temporary structures and section 50 licences
• Excavations and storage of materials
• Scaffolding
• Gantries, hoists and site huts
• Hoarding
• Temporary crossings
• Vault bridges
• Events
• Street works or Section 50 licence

Scaffolding

All scaffolding placed on or over the public highway in Westminster requires a temporary structure licence.

Erecting or dismantling scaffolding

Great care must be taken when erecting or dismantling scaffolding on or near the public highway. The scaffolding contractor and the main contractor share responsibility for ensuring that work is carried out safely. All too often accidents involving members of the public and their property are caused by bad working practices.

Effect on street furniture

Scaffolding may also affect street cleaning or furniture. If a lamp column cannot be repositioned, you may have to provide alternative lighting fixed to the structure, lit and maintained to the satisfaction of the council.

Rubbish chutes

To protect passing pedestrians, rubbish chutes can be used only when fixed to a supporting scaffold gantry which has a minimum clearance of 2.44m over the footway.

Chutes must be completely enclosed and covered at the discharge end (which includes lorries and skips) to stop dust or debris escaping and must be moved aside when not in use. They must only be fixed or tied to the supporting gantry or scaffold.

General conditions

Scaffolding must comply with the following conditions:

• after the scaffolding has been erected, any diagonal cross-bracing used at ground level must be removed at once to allow unobstructed pedestrian access - a width of at least 1.5m and a headroom clearance of at least 2.44m are required for pedestrians to pass, unless other arrangements are agreed by the council
• while a scaffold is being erected, signs should be prominently displayed saying 'Scaffold is incomplete'
• vertical scaffold poles erected on the pavement must not be closer than 0.45m to the kerb edge, unless other arrangements have been agreed with council
• scaffolding that projects beyond the kerb edge must have at least 4.88m clearance above the surface of the carriageway
• where agreement has been obtained to erect the scaffold nearer than 0.45m to the kerb edge, baulk timbers 300mm x 300mm must be placed on the carriageway for the full length of the scaffolding and these timbers must be painted red and white and fitted with red bulkhead lights at 3m intervals
• continuous timber or sole plates may not be placed on the highway
• scaffolding must be lit from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise
• on the inside of the structure, white bulkhead lights must be set at each end of the structure 2.44m high and at 3m intervals. Similarly, on the outside of the structure, red bulkhead lights must be set at each end of the structure 2.44m high and at 3mintervals
• where a scaffold is longer than 3m, the council will insist that you provide 'escape routes' for pedestrians at 3m intervals. The Crime Prevention Officer at the local Metropolitan Police Station may request more onerous requirements. You must obtain approval in principle for any such structure before a licence is issued
• standards must be either painted white or fitted with red and white plastic sleeving up to a height of at least 2.44m
• any couplings below 2.44m must be fixed so that any projection, or threaded or clamp fixing, is on the opposite side to pedestrians
• horizontal scaffold poles, such as handrails, must be fitted with plastic end caps or otherwise made safe, as directed by the council
• scaffolding, scaffold boards, temporary roofs and sheeted scaffolds must be properly secured to resist high winds - sheeted scaffolds are particularly vulnerable to wind damage from the 'sail effect'
• scaffolding must not obstruct access by emergency services vehicles

If there is any risk of falling material injuring passing pedestrians or hitting vehicles, you must erect a protective scaffold fan.

For instance, a scaffold fan is needed when operating cradles or carrying out masonry work:

• fans or screens must be wide enough to provide complete protection to the public, and to prevent material of any kind from falling onto the public highway
• fans that project to within 0.45m of the kerb edge must have at least 2.44m clearance above the surface of the public highway. Fans projecting beyond this line must have at least 4.88mclearance above the surface of the carriageway

Published: 7 January 2021

Last updated: 13 January 2021