Highway Obstructions
Blocking public roads and footpaths with containers, A-Boards, building materials or other items can restrict walkway access and create dangerous obstructions for blind, elderly or disabled people.
To ensure the public’s safe access to highways in Hackney, the Council regulates the following highway obstructions:
- A-Board signage placed on the public footpaths.
- small containers used as safe storage facilities for the delivery of goods outside business hours
- large containers used for storing building tools and materials during a building project
- cross-overs and building materials including sand, cement or rubble placed temporarily on the highway while building works are carried out
- scaffolding
- hoardings
- skips
- mud or debris on public roads
- discharge of water from a premises onto the highway
- plants and bushes outside premises
- encroachment of highway boundaries
- unauthorised vendors/traders.
Report highway obstructions
You can report highway obstructions online or by contacting us using the details at the top-right hand corner of this page.
Please try to provide us with:
- the street or road name
- the location of the obstruction on the street (i.e., is it near a house number or road junction?)
- a description of the obstruction
- the date and approximate time when you saw the obstruction
- persons or vehicle registration responsible for the obstruction (if known).
How we manage highway obstructions
It is an offence to obstruct the public highway without an appropriate Council license.
The Council can prosecute anyone obstructing the public highway without an appropriate license or issue £100-150 penalty, depending on the nature of the offence.
Responsibilities of businesses
If you own or run a business in Hackney, and wish to obstruct a public highway in any manner, you must obtain an appropriate license. For more information, please follow the relevant link below:
- Highway projections
- Scaffolding and hoarding
- Skips
- Street cafes (chairs, tables, etc)
Page updated: 31 Aug 2011
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