http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1980/66/section/169Highways Act 1980An Act to consolidate the Highways Acts 1959 to 1971 and related enactments, with amendments to give effect to recommendations of the Law Commission.1981-03-01texttext/xmlenStatute Law Database2026-03-18Expert Participation2026-03-13 Part IX Lawful and Unlawful Interference With Highways and Streets Precautions to be taken in doing certain works in or near streets or highways Control of scaffolding on highways.1691Subject to subsection (6) below no person shall, in connection with any building or demolition work or the alteration, repair, maintenance or cleaning of any building, erect or retain on or over a highway any scaffolding or other structure which obstructs the highway (hereafter in this section referred to as a “relevant structure”) unless he is authorised to do so by a licence in writing issued for the purposes of this section by the highway authority (hereafter in this section referred to as “a licence”) and complies with the terms of the licence; and a licence may contain such terms as the authority issuing it thinks fit.2If a person applies to a highway authority for a licence in respect of any relevant structure and furnishes the authority with such particulars in connection with the structure as the authority reasonably demand, it is the duty of the authority to issue a licence to him in respect of the structure unless the authority consider—athat the structure would cause unreasonable obstruction of a highway; orbthat a relevant structure erected otherwise than as proposed by the applicant would cause less obstruction of a highway than the structure proposed by him and could conveniently be used for the work in question.3If on an application for a licence in connection with a highway the highway authority refuse to issue a licence or issue a licence containing terms to which the applicant objects, the applicant may appeal to a magistrates’ court against the refusal or terms; and on such an appeal the court may—ain the case of an appeal against a refusal, direct the highway authority to issue a licence in pursuance of the application;bin the case of an appeal against the terms of the licence, alter the terms.4Subject to subsection (6) below, it is the duty of a person to whom a licence is issued by a highway authority in respect of a relevant structure—ato ensure that the structure is adequately lit at all times between half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise;bto comply with any directions given to him in writing by the authority with respect to the erection and maintenance of traffic signs in connection with the structure; andcto do such things in connection with the structure as any statutory undertakers reasonably request him to do for the purpose of protecting or giving access to any apparatus belonging to or used or maintained by the undertakers.In this subsection and in section 171(2) below “statutory undertakers” means any of the following, namely, any body who are statutory undertakers within the meaning provided by section 329(1) below, any universal service provider in connection with the provision of a universal postal service, . . . . . . any licensee under a street works licenceand the operator of an electronic communications code networkor a driver information network.5A person who contravenes the provisions of subsection (1) above otherwise than by failing to comply with the terms of a licence or who fails without reasonable excuse to comply with the terms of a licence or to perform a duty imposed on him by subsection (4) above, is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.6Nothing in the preceding provisions of this section applies to a relevant structure erected before 14th February 1977 or erected or retained by the British Railways Board, Canal & River Trust or Transport for London or any of its subsidiaries (within the meaning of the Greater London Authority Act 1999) in the exercise of powers conferred on the body in question by any enactment; and nothing in paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection (4) above applies to a relevant structure if no part of it is less than 18 inches in a horizontal direction from a carriageway of the relevant highway and no part of it over a footway of the relevant highway is less than 8 feet in a vertical direction above the footway.7No civil or criminal proceedings lie in respect of any obstruction of a highway which is caused by a relevant structure if the structure is on or over the highway in accordance with a licence and the person to whom the licence is issued performs the duties imposed on him in respect of the structure by subsection (4) above; and a highway authority by whom a licence is issued do not incur any liability by reason of the issue of the licence.S. 169: functions of local authority not to be responsibility of an executive of the authority (E.) (16.11.2000) by virtue of S.I. 2000/2853, reg. 2(1), Sch. 1S. 169(1) excluded (18.12.1996) by 1996 c. 61, s. 38, Sch. 10 para. 5(1)(b).S. 169(1) excluded (22.7.2008) by Crossrail Act 2008 (c. 18), s. 40, Sch. 14 para. 7(1)(b)S. 169(4): by Telecommunications Act 1984 (c. 12, SIF 96), s. 109, Sch. 4 para. 3(1), Sch. 5 para. 45 it is provided that references to British Telecommunications in s. 169(4) cease to have effectWords in s. 169(4) substituted (26.3.2001) by S.I. 2001/1149, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 para. 49(3)Words repealed by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)–(10), 190, 193(1), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 41(1), 57(6), 58, Sch. 27 Pt. IWord repealed by Telecommunications Act 1984 (c. 12, SIF 96), s. 109, Sch. 7 Pt. IWords in s. 169(4) substituted (1.1.1993) by New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (c. 22, SIF 59, 108), s. 168(1), Sch. 8 Part I para. 4(with s. 25(2)); S.I. 1992/2984, art. 2(2), Sch. 2.Words inserted by Telecommunications Act 1984 (c. 12, SIF 96), s. 109, Sch. 4 para. 76(8), Sch. 5 para. 45Words in s. 169(4) in definition of "statutory undertakers" substituted (25.7.2003 for specified purposes, 29.12.2003 for specified purposes) by Communications Act 2003 (c. 21), ss. 406(1)(6), 408, 411, Sch. 17 para. 56(1)(b)(2)(a) (with Sch. 18); S.I. 2003/1900, arts. 1(2), 2(1), 3(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 3(2) (as amended (8.12.2003) by S.I. 2003/3142, art. 1(3))); S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(2) (with art. 11)Words inserted by Road Traffic (Driver Licensing and Information Systems) Act 1989 (c. 22, SIF 107:1), s. 13(1), Sch. 4 para. 3(7)Word in s. 169(4) in definition of "statutory undertakers" substituted (25.7.2003 for specified purposes, 29.12.2003 for specified purposes) by Communications Act 2003 (c. 21), ss. 406(1)(6), 408, 411, Sch. 17 para. 56(1)(b)(2)(e) (with Sch. 18); S.I. 2003/1900, arts. 1(2), 2(1), 3(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 3(2) (as amended (8.12.2003) by S.I. 2003/3142, art. 1(3))); S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(2) (with art. 11)Words substituted by virtue of Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), ss. 38, 46Words in s. 169(6) substituted (15.7.2003) by The Transport for London (Consequential Provisions) Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/1615), art. 2, Sch. 1 Pt. 1 para. 7(5)Words in s. 169(6) substituted (2.7.2012) by The British Waterways Board (Transfer of Functions) Order 2012 (S.I. 2012/1659), art. 1(2), Sch. 3 para. 6(3) (with arts. 4-6)S. 169(1) excluded (23.2.2017) by High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Act 2017 (c. 7), s. 70(1), Sch. 24 para. 1(1) (with Sch. 24 para. 1(5))S. 169(1) excluded (24.9.2014) by The Thames Water Utilities Limited (Thames Tideway Tunnel) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/2384), art. 1, Sch. 19, Pt. 1 para. 2(3)S. 169(1) excluded (11.2.2021) by High Speed Rail (West Midlands - Crewe) Act 2021 (c. 2), s. 64(1), Sch. 24 para. 1(3) (with Sch. 24 para. 1(4))S. 169 excluded (15.4.2025) by The A122 (Lower Thames Crossing) Development Consent Order 2025 (S.I. 2025/462), arts. 1, 53(1) (with arts. 5, 43, 53(7), Sch. 14)S. 169(1) excluded (23.4.2025) by The Cambridge Waste Water Treatment Plant Relocation Order 2025 (S.I. 2025/452), art. 1, Sch. 17 para. 2(3) (with art. 50)