If your house in Watford sits close to the pavement, there is a good chance the scaffolding for your roof, render or window job will have to stand on it or hang over it. In that case, yes, a licence is needed before a single tube goes up. Here is how it works locally, who sorts it out and what it means for your timings and budget.
Any scaffold that stands on, or projects over, a public pavement, verge or road needs a scaffold licence under section 169 of the Highways Act 1980. People often assume Watford Borough Council deals with this, but pavements and roads in Watford are looked after by Hertfordshire County Council as the highway authority, so that is where the application goes.
The same applies in the surrounding area, including Bushey, Oxhey, Garston, Croxley Green, Abbots Langley and Kings Langley. It also applies if the scaffold's feet are on your own land but the upper lifts or a protective fan overhang the footway.
If the whole scaffold sits inside your boundary, for example on a front garden, driveway or back garden, no highway licence is required. Many semis and detached houses in Cassiobury, Nascot Wood and Garston fall into this group.
The terraced streets are where it usually comes up. In West Watford, around Vicarage Road, in parts of Oxhey and along shop parades such as St Albans Road, the front wall is often right on the back edge of the pavement, so there is nowhere else for the scaffold to go.
Private or unadopted roads are different again. The council does not license those, but you will need permission from whoever owns the road. If any part of the scaffold needs to stand on a neighbour's land, you need their agreement too.
You, the homeowner, do not normally apply. The licence is issued to the scaffolding contractor, who has to show public liability insurance (highway authorities commonly ask for at least £5 million of cover) and takes responsibility for the structure while it is up. A reputable firm will handle the paperwork and build the cost into the quote.
Allow for notice. As a rule of thumb, plan on one to two weeks between booking and the licence being in place, and longer at busy times of year. If the pavement is too narrow to keep open and pedestrians have to be diverted into the road, a separate temporary closure may be needed, which can add several weeks. Tell your roofer or builder early so the dates line up.
Licences are granted for a fixed period, often around a month at a time. If your job overruns, the licence has to be extended before it expires, usually for a further fee.
The county council sets the fee and reviews it each year, so check the current figure rather than relying on an old one. As a rough guide, budget somewhere between £100 and £300 for a standard domestic licence. The total depends on how long the scaffold is up and whether an extension or a pedestrian diversion is needed.
Ask for the licence to be shown as a separate line on your quote. If a quote for a pavement scaffold has no mention of a licence at all, ask why.
The licence comes with conditions designed to keep the pavement safe and usable. The exact wording varies by location, but you can expect the following.
The scaffolding contractor commits the offence and can be fined, and the county council can order the scaffold to be taken down. That would stop your job and may raise insurance questions, so ask to see the licence before work starts.
No, the licence only covers the scaffold itself. If a delivery lorry needs space in a permit bay or on a restricted street, a parking suspension is arranged separately through Watford Borough Council, which manages parking in the town.
In practice no, because the licence is issued to the scaffolding company that holds the insurance and is responsible for the structure. The fee is the same whoever fills in the form, so there is no saving to be made.
Oxley Scaffolding covers Kings Langley, Hertfordshire and the borders. Tell us what you are planning and you will get a straight answer and a fair price.
One call, one site visit, one fixed price. CHAS accredited, CISRS-registered erectors, fully insured, kit signed off before hand-over.