Permit of £10 to keep a skip outside Birmingham homes

Dec 31 2009 by Paul Dale, Birmingham Mail

ANYONE in Birmingham who places a skip on the road outside their house while carrying out work will soon have to buy a £10 permit.

The idea is being introduced by the city council in an attempt to tackle the “eyesore” of containers left on pavements for weeks, or even months.

The permits will set out a maximum period for leaving the skip in place, usually seven days.

If the skip is not removed by the specified date, the council will be able to have it taken away and penalise the skip operating companies responsible.

Coun Len Gregory, cabinet member for transportation and street services said: “While the presence of a skip outside a property can offer an encouraging sign that development is taking place, we know from experience that in too many cases skips are left when perhaps not specifically needed and they then become a focus for fly-tipping.

“These new rules are designed to put an end to this practice.”

An estimated 80,000 skips are hired and placed on the public highway every year in Birmingham.