In order to place a builder's skip on the highway a permit for each location is required from Central Bedfordshire Highways.

A skip permit application should be made through a skip company, who will send the application to us and, assuming everything is in order we will send the permit back to them. The conditions are part of the permit.

A charge is made to the skip company of £33.00 for up to 4 weeks and continuation is subject to a further charge of £33.00.

For further information on skip licences please contact Gareth Hughes.

Tel: 0845 3656 179
Fax: 0845 3656 001
Email: Streetworks@amey.co.uk

Any scaffold or hoarding which encroaches or projects over the Highway requires a scaffold permit. These permits are only issued to the scaffolding company.

When it is necessary to place hoardings on the highway around the place of work or scaffolding, permission is necessary and can be obtained from the council, on completion of a form together with a sketch. Once permission has been granted, the conditions attached to the licence must be carefully read and kept to at all times.

The basic requirements of the conditions are as follows:

Hoardings

• To be a minimum of 2.5m high and to be able to withstand high winds 
• Illumination may be required if street lighting is not adequate.
• Must have a smooth finish with no protruding parts.
• Pedestrian walkways of satisfactory width are to be maintained or provided and regularly inspected by the Contractor.

Scaffolding

• During the erection or dismantling period, a safe working area at ground level is required to be provided to prevent pedestrians gaining access. Will require illumination unless no part of it is less than 0.45m (18 inches) from a carriageway in a horizontal direction and no part of it over a footway is less than 2.4m (8 feet) above the footway.
• Pedestrian walkway to be maintained around the scaffold. If this cannot be arranged, it requires to be designed to allow access under and through the scaffold safely - no trip hazards, no projecting tubes or fittings, covered adequately to provide a working platform and prevent materials or debris falling through. Poles to be highlighted. A reasonable free walking width must be maintained to enable persons in wheelchairs/prams, etc, to pass the scaffold safely.

The council has the necessary powers to issue licences for scaffolding; to require erection of hoardings to separate building works from the street; and to ensure hoardings are securely erected.

The cost is currently £100.00 per up to one month.

Permission to deposit building materials/bags/cement mixers/containers/crane on the highway

In order to place building materials/bags/cement mixers/containers/crane on the footway, verge or carriageway, a permit for each location is required from Bedfordshire Highways.

An application form needs to be obtained, completed and returned together with a cheque for £33 before a licence can be processed. The cost covers up to four weeks. Each extension for more time for up to four weeks may be applied for and will cost a further £33.

For further information please contact Gareth Hughes.

Tel: 0845 3656 179
Fax: 0845 3656 001
Email: Streetworks@amey.co.uk

Operators of public weighing equipment must ensure that they can perform their duties competently and honestly. To operate public weighing equipment you must hold a certificate from the Chief Trading Standards Officer.

Applicants will be tested by a Trading Standards officer to show that they can:

• operate the weighbridge satisfactorily
• complete any weighbridge tickets and documentation satisfactorily
• understand basic terms associated with operating a weighbridge
• understand their duties as a weighbridge operator
• understand potential frauds which a weighbridge operator may unknowingly assist
• understand how the accuracy of the weighbridge may be affected
• perform simple arithmetic

Before applying for a test, please make sure you have received sufficient training in the operation of the equipment. The scope of an operator's certificate is limited to the type of weighbridge you will be expected to use. Should the weighbridge be replaced, a new certificate will be required

Please contact us for the full details of how to bring into operation a public weighbridge and how to acquire certification. Email: Trading.standards@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

 Any public weighbridge attendant who commits any of the following will be guilty of an offence:

• Carries out a weighing unfairly
• Fails provide a written record of the weight recorded
• Fails to make an accurate record of the weighing, including the time and date of it and, when weighing a vehicle, such particulars of the vehicle and any load on it as will identify that vehicle and that load
• Provides a false statement of any weight found or makes a false record of any weighing
• Commits any fraud in connection with any weighing or purported weighing. 

All public weighbridges are regularly tested for accuracy as part of our inspection programme.

Firbank Tipping
Townsend Centre
Blackburn Road
Houghton Regis
Bedfordshire
LU5 5BG
Tel:(01582) 605964

Select Plant Hire
Barford Road
St Neots
Cambs
PE19 6WB
Tel: (01480) 407080
Fax: (01480) 402634

H Maskell and Son Ltd
Duck End Farm
Duck End Lane
Bedford Road
Wilstead
Bedfordshire
MK45 3HP 
Tel:(01234) 740449/740213
Mobile: 07785986554

Second-hand goods traders are subject to all relevant Trading Standards legislation, but they are not required to hold a licence to trade in second hand goods within Central Bedfordshire. However, other local authorities may require you to hold such a licence. If you are trading in another county, we recommend that you check with the relevant local authority before you start to trade.

On 1 April 2011, Central Bedfordshire Council will start to implement the legislation for Street Trading, which will allow better regulation of traders operating in our area who fall into this category.

If you trade in a street under the legislation you may be required to apply for consent from the council (see our Street Trading Policy for further information on how this may affect your business and how we intend to operate the new system).

Please note that the policing of this Act will be undertaken in partnership with colleagues in Environmental Health, Trading Standards and Community Safety, who all make regular visits throughout the Central Bedfordshire area.

We will also welcome information from licensed traders and members of the public in order that any unlicensed traders can be identified and appropriate action taken against them.

Any person found trading in a designated consent street without a Street Trading Consent will be committing an offence punishable on conviction by a fine of up to £1,000.

Street Trading Policy (PDF 98KB)

Street Trading Application (PDF 38KB)

To apply for a licence, you can either contact us to request an application form or you can download a form below.  You will need to complete the form and return it to us at:

We will consider the application and associated documentation and advise you of the outcome.

Petroleum guidance document (PDF 101KB)

Domestic Storage of Petroleum guidance document (PDF 50KB)

Application for new Petroleum Licence (PDF 17KB)

Transfer of Petroleum licence (PDF 19KB)

Renewal of Petroleum licence (PDF 18KB)

The Poisons Act 1972 requires us to register all persons who wish to sell substances listed in Part II of the Poisons List Order.

The Poisons List includes products such as:

• certain drain cleaners
• kettle descaler
• pesticides
• rat poison
• chemical toilet fluid
• weed killers

If your premises are in Central Bedfordshire, you can either contact us for an application pack or you can download the appropriate documents below.

You will need to complete the form and return it to us at:

Central Bedfordshire Council

Priory House

Monks Walk

Chicksands

SG17 5TQ

along with the appropriate fee.  For fees please view the document below:

Application for registration (PDF 38KB)

Guidance (PDF 50KB)

Changes in legislation introduced a new category of sex establishment known as a "sexual entertainment venue" (SEV). This gives Local Authorities powers to control the number and location of lap dancing clubs and similar venues. Your Licensing Authority may also have adopted its own policy to regulate SEV’s in its area. If one is in place then you will need to ensure that you comply with this also.

A sexual entertainment venue is described as "any premises at which relevant entertainment is provided before a live audience for the financial gain of the organiser or entertainer".

"Relevant entertainment" is described as "any live performance or live display of nudity which is of such a nature that, ignoring financial gain, it must reasonably be assumed to be provided solely or principally for the purpose of sexually stimulating any member of an audience (whether by verbal or other means)". An audience can consist of just one person.

Sexual entertainment venues (SEV’s) are those that provide forms of entertainment such as

• Lap dancing
• Pole dancing
• Table dancing
• Strip shows
• Peep shows
• Live sex shows

Sex shops and Sex cinemas are not defined as SEV’s, but are separately defined under the 1982 Act and require their own licence. Premises that only provide relevant entertainment on an infrequent basis (defined by the 1982 Act as less than one per month) and premises exempted by the Secretary of State are also not included.

Premises that previously provided relevant entertainment as "regulated entertainment" under a Licensing Act 2003 premises licence are now no longer able to do so and will need a Sex establishment licence.

You will need to continue your 2003 Act premises licence for the sale or supply of alcohol and for other forms of "regulated entertainment". Applicants should consult Schedule 3 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 for definitions and further guidance. The application will need to be advertised in a local newspaper and on site. A copy of the application must also be sent to the local Police.

Application for a Sex Entertainment Licence (PDF 52KB)

Sex Establishment Policy (PDF 115KB)

If a business offers credit or lends money to consumers, or allows customers time to pay for goods and services, it must be licensed with the Consumer Credit Licensing Bureau of the Office of Fair Trading.

The following types of business must be licensed with the Office of Fair Trading:

• consumer credit
• consumer hire
• debit adjusting and debt counselling
• debt collecting
• credit reference agencies
• canvassing credit off trade premises

The Office of Fair Trading holds a public record of all licensed traders and of all those who have applied for a licence. They can provide details to the public about its licensed businesses, such as the type of activities they cover, their authorised trading names and main business address.

To find out more about your duties as a credit provider, including guidance on who needs a licence and how to apply for one, see the consumer credit licensing (new window) area of the Office of Fair Trading website.

Complete information and forms are available from the OFT website (new window)

The Council has the responsibility for enforcing the Caravan Sites and Control of Development Act 1960 and the Caravan Sites Act 1968. These Acts lay down 'model standards' that should be included in the licenses for the site. These standards specify conditions relating to:

• The roads 
• Speed limits 
• Signage within the site
• The distance between mobile homes
• Boundary fences 
• Other structures within the plot area
• The information that should be provided on the site by the manager 
• The fire precautions that must be in place within the site.

                 
This area of work  includes the regular inspection of all mobile home sites within Central Bedfordshire, to ensure their compliance with the Site Licence Model Standards. .

Apply for a site licence

Central Bedfordshire maintains a register of persons carrying on business in their area as scrap metal dealers; no person shall carry on business as a scrap metal dealer in the area unless the appropriate particulars relating to him are entered in the register maintained by the authority.

Application for Scrap Metal Dealer (PDF 29KB)

A thoroughly British way to celebrate, and a great way to get to know your neighbours, is to organise a street party.

Central Bedfordshire Council hope this street party information will help groups of friends, neighbours, parish councils, resident associations or any other community group to plan their street party so that it goes with a swing!

Street parties are organised by groups of residents for their neighbours and are usually quite straightforward to organise. They generally don't include activities that need a licence, such as selling alcohol, trading or providing entertainment, but there's plenty of street party information on when licences may be required.

You may want to close part, or all, of your street for your party and for that you will need to get permission and you may also require some insurance to cover your event, this may also cover seeking permission from householders who are not involved in the party.

Central Bedfordshire Council wishes to support as many events as possible and make the process as simple as it can, however as the Highways Authority we do request as much notice of your event as you can possibly provide.

Please email highways@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk with any highways requests.

• Licence for Auction Premise
• Application for a permit to occupy the road in connection with building work 
• Application to change a permit to occupy the road in connection with building work 
• Application to extend a permit to occupy the road in connection with building work 
• Apply for massage and special treatment premises licence
• Apply to change for massage and special treatment premises licence
• Apply to renew for massage and special treatment premises licence  
• Apply for markets - stall rental
• Apply for licences - markets
• Changing circumstances for licences - markets
• View information on market traders
• Apply for licence - second hand dealers
• Apply for licence - hairdressers
• Apply for  cooling tower registration  
• Apply for Licence - pleasure boats
• Apply to change Licence - pleasure boats
• Apply to renew Licence - pleasure boats
• Apply for Licence - weighbridge operator's
• Apply for licences - entertainment
• Apply for tourism - accommodation - camping and caravan sites
• Changing circumstances - accommodation - camping and caravan sites
• Apply for Licence - stage hypnotism
• Application for consent to distribute leaflets
• Application to change a consent to distribute leaflets
• Apply for Environmental permitting
• Changing circumstances Environmental permitting
• Environmental permitting - annual subsistence charge