By law, licences are required for equipment such as canopies, blinds or CCTV equipment that might protrude over a public highway.
Licences will normally be granted as part of the planning process but, in some circumstances, a highway projection licence might be granted separately.
To allow pedestrians to walk safely beneath projections, the following is required:
- A minimum vertical clearance of 2.6 metres to the underside of the projecting structure;
- A minimum horizontal clearance between the structure and the carriageway of 0.6 metres;
- A vertical clearance of not less than 6 metres is required above a carriageway or access road.
The owners of the apparatus must have public liability insurance cover for a minimum of £5 million.
Applying for a licence
To apply for a licence, download and complete the application form (doc / 1 MB) and return it with the fee to your local area highways office. Refer to our list of fees and charges (pdf / 253 KB) for cost details.