Do you need a skip permit in Wokingham?
Yes, if the skip will stand on the public highway. Wokingham Borough Council is the highway authority for the whole borough, which takes in Wokingham town as well as Earley, Woodley, Winnersh and Twyford. Earley and Woodley have Reading postcodes, but a skip on the road there still needs a Wokingham licence, not a Reading one. The same licence covers hippo bags and other skip bags left on the road. A skip that sits entirely on private land, such as your own drive, needs no licence.
What a skip licence costs in Wokingham
Wokingham Borough Council charges £100 for the first two weeks and £70 for each extra week. Licences are only issued to registered skip companies, not to householders or builders, so your supplier makes the application. The council asks for at least five working days between applying and the start date, and at least three working days to extend or change a licence. Payment is requested once road space has been confirmed.
With the application, the skip company must supply a public liability insurance certificate for at least £10 million, a copy of its waste carrier registration, and a map image showing where the skip will go. If the spot is covered by parking restrictions, a separate parking dispensation is needed as well, at £53 a week with at least seven working days' notice, so a skip on a yellow line takes longer to arrange. The skip permit guide explains how permits work.
Council rules for a skip on the road
- The council's licence page says skips cannot be placed on the pavement.
- The skip can be no more than 5 metres long and 2 metres wide.
- It goes long side parallel to the kerb, as close to the edge as possible, and must be visible from 75 metres in both directions.
- It must not be within 20 metres of a junction, or block drains, hydrants, manholes, utility covers or access to properties.
- The ends are painted yellow with red and yellow reflective markings, and the owner's name with an address or phone number is shown on one long side.
- Four cones go on the side facing approaching traffic, with an amber lamp on each corner and lamps between the cones after dark.
- No flammable, dangerous or rotting waste, and contents should be kept damp to limit dust.
- A full skip must be removed within two working days, and any extension asked for before the licence runs out.
Recycling centres near Wokingham
Wokingham residents use two recycling centres shared with Reading and Bracknell Forest councils. Only people who pay council tax to one of those three councils can use them, and visits by vehicle must be booked online in advance.
- Longshot Lane Recycling Centre, Longshot Lane, Bracknell RG12 1RL.
- Smallmead Recycling Centre, Island Road, Reading RG2 0RP.
Both open every day, 8am to 6pm from October to March and 8am to 8pm from April to September, closing early on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve and shut on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Bookings open seven days ahead on a rolling basis. Bring proof of address that matches you and your vehicle, such as a driving licence, council tax bill, or a utility or bank statement less than four months old.
DIY waste is free up to 100 litres per visit of rubble, soil, plasterboard, gravel, wood chippings or asbestos, or one large bathroom item such as a bath, for up to four DIY visits in any four weeks. More than that is charged, and staff check vehicles for chargeable waste on arrival. If you are coming in a van, a pickup or a car towing a trailer, state the vehicle and the waste when you book, as some commercial-type vehicles need a permit.
Bulky waste collection in Wokingham borough
Wokingham Borough Council collects up to three large items plus up to three small electrical items in one booking for £72. It will not take builders' rubble, DIY or construction waste such as bathroom suites, doors and radiators, built-in furniture like kitchen units, garden waste or structures, sheds, fences, gates or hazardous waste such as gas bottles. Items must be left outside, not in a garage, back garden or behind a gate, and upholstered furniture kept separate. Book online up to eight weeks ahead; cancellations must be made by 3pm the day before, and late cancellations are not refunded.
Because refit waste is excluded from bulky collections, a skip or a trip to the recycling centre is the usual route for a kitchen or bathroom job.
Choosing a size
For heavy waste like soil or rubble, most suppliers limit you to a smaller skip, often 6 yards or less, because weight rather than volume is the limit. The size guide works it out from what you are clearing.
Skip hire in Wokingham: common questions
How much is a skip licence in Wokingham?
£100 for the first two weeks, then £70 a week, paid by the skip company. If the skip has to go where parking is restricted, a parking dispensation adds £53 a week.
How much notice does Wokingham need for a skip licence?
At least five working days before the skip arrives, or at least seven working days if a parking dispensation is also needed. Extensions need at least three working days' notice.
Can a skip go on the pavement in Wokingham?
The council's licence page says no, so in practice the choice is the road with a licence or your own drive without one. If your only option is the pavement, ask the council before booking.
Do Earley and Woodley need a Reading or a Wokingham licence?
Wokingham. Both are in Wokingham borough, so the skip company applies to Wokingham Borough Council even though the postcode says Reading. For central Reading rules see skip hire in Reading.
Council details checked October 2026. Fees, opening times and booking rules can change, so confirm them with the council or your supplier.