Street obstructions policy

Street obstructions policy

The City of London Corporation has a policy to control obstructions on the streets to ensure they are safe. This is particularly important where footfall is high or the footways are narrow. It is a similar approach to Transport for London's, which aims to minimise the number of items that block the footway. 

Obstructions will not be allowed in the following circumstances

• on footways which are narrower than two metres 
• on footpaths identified as having a high footfall (such as transport hubs, stations and related pedestrian routes)
• where they interrupt safe pedestrian movement (regardless of the width of the pavement)

Examples of obstructions

• freestanding advertisement boards (A Boards)
• abandoned bicycles
• bicycles​ secured to street furniture or railings/barriers
• potted plants or planters
• distribution stands (newspapers and magazines)
• tables and chairs
• display stands
• unauthorised bins, bags and litter bins

The City Corporation is keen to work with businesses to support their needs and look for on-streets alternative where obstructions are not tolerated.

If you are concerned about an obstruction contact our Street Environment Team. 

020 7332 4970

Email the SEO team