Skip Clerk UK skip reference

Permits

Skip permit: Cornwall Council

First published 6 September 2026. Last checked 24 September 2026.

If the skip sits on a public highway in Cornwall, the skip company must apply for the licence. Cornwall Council’s page (checked 24 September 2026) lists £115 per calendar month for a standard licence, or £163 for an emergency licence. A non-emergency application takes a minimum of two weeks to process. A skip wholly on private land you control does not need this licence.

You do not apply as a householder. The skip company applies – they hold the insurance and keep liability while the skip is on adopted highway. Failing to get a licence is still an offence under the Highways Act 1980.

When you need one

The statutory hook is still Highways Act 1980, section 139. National placement rules: Do I need a skip permit?.

Who applies

Cornwall’s page: a skip application must be submitted by the skip company as they hold the relevant insurances. They retain liability for the skip for the duration it is on highways-adopted land. A Streetworks Inspector may visit the site and set conditions the company must follow.

Fee, notice and duration

Figures below are from Cornwall Council’s placing a skip on the highway page on 24 September 2026. Fees are reviewed each year; licences submitted on or after 1 April take the new fees. Recheck that page on the day you book.

Item What Cornwall published
Standard licence £115 per calendar month
Emergency licence £163 per calendar month
Extension (before expiry) £115 for one further calendar month
Late extension £163
Change to an issued licence £45
Processing time Non-emergency: minimum 2 weeks. Emergency means immediate risk to public safety, property or essential services – evidence required after submission.

Neighbours

Cornwall Council is the unitary highway authority across Cornwall. Devon County Council, Torbay and Plymouth sit the other side of the Tamar – Skip hire in Devon. County map for Cornwall towns: Skip hire in Cornwall.

A sensible order

  1. Can it sit wholly on the drive with no overhang? If yes, book that and skip the licence.
  2. If it has to go on the road, tell the hire firm at booking and give them at least two weeks.
  3. Check their waste-carrier number – how to check a waste carrier licence.
  4. Size the job on the size guide.

Towns in this council

Local skip-hire guides that sit under Cornwall Council. The permit rules on this page apply when the skip sits on the public road.

All areas: Skip hire by town.

Sources