Summary

Site hoarding and security is one of the most visible aspects of demolition site management — and one of the most heavily scrutinised by the HSE, the local authority, and the Considerate Constructors Scheme. A poorly erected or inadequately maintained hoarding sends a signal about a site's overall safety culture. Beyond appearances, it serves a critical protective function: keeping the public, particularly children, away from a hazardous environment where falling debris, unstable structures, and exposed services create life-threatening risks.

The legal framework for site hoarding draws from several sources simultaneously. CDM 2015 imposes the fundamental duty to prevent unauthorised access. The New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (NRSWA) and its associated regulations govern any hoarding that encroaches onto public highway — requiring a licence from the local highway authority, traffic management measures, and compliance with minimum pedestrian clearance requirements. Environmental considerations, including lighting standards for the hours of darkness and community impact under the Considerate Constructors Scheme, add further requirements.

Signage is often treated as an afterthought but is a legal requirement in its own right. CDM 2015 Regulation 22 and Schedule 2 specify the information that must be displayed on the site notice. Asbestos hazard signage is required under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 wherever a notifiable asbestos removal is underway or where asbestos-containing materials are present and accessible. Fragile surface and fragile roof warnings are required under the Work at Height Regulations 2005. Getting these right is not just about compliance — a missing or inadequate sign that is photographed by HSE or a local authority inspector is an immediate prohibition notice risk.

Key Facts

  • CDM 2015 Regulation 22 — requires adequate site security to prevent unauthorised access by members of the public
  • Minimum hoarding height — public footway: 2 m for standard site boundary; 3 m where work is being carried out overhead (e.g. floors being demolished above the hoarding line)
  • Heras fencing is suitable only for temporary low-risk boundaries (vacant land, plant storage areas away from public footways); it is NOT sufficient as a primary hoarding for a demolition site adjacent to the public
  • Timber hoarding construction: typically 25 mm shiplap boarding on a frame of 75×50 mm (or 100×50 mm for taller hoardings) timber posts at maximum 2.4 m centres, with horizontal rails at 600 mm and 1,200 mm height; braced at 1.8 m intervals with raking props
  • Anti-climb measures: smooth top rail or angled anti-climb capping required where hoarding abuts a public area; hoarding should not have footholds accessible from outside
  • Hoarding on highway requires a licence from the local highway authority under NRSWA; application typically 6–8 weeks before installation; includes Traffic Management (TM) requirements
  • Minimum pedestrian clearance on highway: 2 m clear width (checked in accordance with HAUC guidance); where footway is too narrow, temporary footway must be provided on the carriageway
  • Lighting — external hoarding illumination is required in hours of darkness where it abuts a public footway; BS EN 12464-2 for outdoor work areas; emergency lighting under BS 5266 if the hoarding blocks emergency egress routes
  • CDM 2015 Regulation 22 and Schedule 2 — site notice information required: principal contractor's name, address, and emergency contact number; HSE F10 notification reference (where project is notifiable); health and safety law poster or equivalent information
  • Asbestos notices — required under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012 (CAR 2012) wherever notifiable asbestos removal is being carried out; must be visible at all entry points to the asbestos work area
  • Fragile surface warning signs — required under the Work at Height Regulations 2005 where fragile roofs or surfaces exist; standard sign is a yellow warning triangle with "DANGER FRAGILE ROOF" or equivalent text
  • Danger notices under CDM 2015 Regulation 28 [verify regulation number] — specific written notices required for hazardous operations
  • Toe boards — required along the top of hoarding where it is adjacent to a working platform or where items could fall over the hoarding into the public footway
  • Vehicle access gates: minimum 4 m wide for single-lane access; 6 m preferred for two-way traffic; sliding or hinged; always kept closed when no vehicle is passing through
  • Banksman — required for all vehicle movements through gates adjacent to pedestrian routes; CDM 2015 site rules must state this requirement
  • Considerate Constructors Scheme (CCS) — registered sites must proactively manage hoarding appearance, neighbour impact, and safety; auditors assess hoarding condition and community messaging

Quick Reference Table

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Scenario Minimum Hoarding Height Notes
Site boundary adjacent to public footway, no overhead work 2 m Solid boarded or equivalent; anti-climb capping
Site boundary with overhead demolition above hoarding line 3 m Solid boarded; may need debris netting above
Hoarding on highway (footway on road) 2 m + 2 m pedestrian clearance maintained NRSWA licence required
Heras fencing — temporary plant compound, no public access As appropriate to risk Not suitable for public-facing primary hoarding
Vehicle access gate 2 m height; 4–6 m width Must be kept closed; banksman required
Asbestos work area — site boundary to general site Full separation with signage at all access points CAR 2012
Sign Type Requirement Standard/Regulation
CDM site notice Principal contractor details, HSE F10 reference CDM 2015 Schedule 2
Asbestos hazard notice At all entry points to asbestos removal area CAR 2012
Fragile roof/surface warning At any access point where fragile surfaces exist WAH Regs 2005
Emergency contact Visible from public highway, day and night CDM 2015 Reg 22
No unauthorised access On all gates and access points —
Health and safety law poster Displayed in site welfare facilities HASWA 1974 (poster regs)

Detailed Guidance

Hoarding Design and Construction

A demolition site hoarding adjacent to a public area must be substantial. The standard specification used across the UK industry is:

Posts: 75×50 mm (or 100×50 mm for heights above 2.4 m) sawn softwood, set into the ground a minimum of 600 mm (or into concrete where ground conditions do not permit direct setting). Post centres at 2.4 m maximum, reducing to 1.8 m for hoardings above 2.4 m height.

Rails: Horizontal rails at 600 mm and 1,200 mm above ground level on the back of the boarding (i.e., on the site side). A top rail at the full hoarding height. For 3 m hoardings, an additional intermediate rail at 1,800 mm.

Boarding: 25 mm shiplap boarding (tongue and groove or rebated) on the site-facing side of the posts. Boarding runs vertically (horizontal boarding is structurally weaker and tends to sag). Alternatively, steel hoarding sheets on a compatible frame, which provides better security and longevity on long-duration projects.

Bracing: Raking props at 1.8 m centres on the site side; fixed to the ground with a heel plate and to the hoarding with a screwed connection. Critical on exposed sites or where plant operating adjacent to the hoarding could transmit lateral load through the ground.

Top: Angled anti-climb capping or smooth top rail. No footholds should be created by the framing arrangement on the public side.

Foundation: Where the hoarding crosses an existing concrete or paved surface, a temporary kentledge base or bolted-down baseplate may be required instead of ground-set posts. Engineer approval is required for kentledge calculations at 3 m hoarding height.

Hoarding on Highway — NRSWA Licensing

Any hoarding that encroaches onto the public highway — including the footway — requires a licence from the local highway authority under Section 171 of the Highways Act 1980 and the relevant provisions of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991. The application must be made in advance (typically 6–8 weeks for straightforward cases; longer for complex or contentious sites).

The licence application will require: site layout plan showing the hoarding position and existing footway dimensions; proposed pedestrian management arrangement; Traffic Management (TM) plan if any part of the carriageway is to be used; and evidence of adequate public liability insurance (typically £5 million minimum; some local authorities require £10 million).

Minimum pedestrian clearance is 2 m clear width, measured from the face of the hoarding to the kerb or to any other obstruction. Where the existing footway is narrower than 2 m plus the hoarding footprint, a temporary footway must be constructed on the carriageway using appropriate traffic management. The temporary footway must be level (no trip hazards), have a non-slip surface, be a minimum of 1.5 m wide (2 m preferred), and be clearly delineated with a pedestrian safety barrier on the carriageway side.

Lighting is mandatory for temporary footways and hoarding on highway during hours of darkness. Lighting standards for pedestrian routes are set in BS EN 12464-2 and local highway authority guidance. Typically, this means minimum 1 lux average illuminance on the footway surface, rising to 5–10 lux adjacent to traffic. Lighting must be maintained throughout the hours of public use — typically until 11 pm on commercial streets; 24 hours on busy roads.

Mandatory Signage — CDM 2015 Requirements

CDM 2015 Regulation 22 requires the principal contractor to take all reasonable steps to prevent access to the construction site by persons who are not authorised to be there. Signage is one component of this; physical security is the other. The specific information required to be displayed on the site notice is set out in CDM 2015 Schedule 2:

  • Name of the principal contractor
  • Address and telephone number of the principal contractor
  • Name of the principal designer
  • If the project is notifiable (over 30 working days with more than 20 workers simultaneously, or over 500 person-days): the HSE project notification reference (F10 reference)
  • A general health and safety notice appropriate to the site

This information must be clearly legible from outside the site boundary. For demolition sites, it is good practice to include an emergency out-of-hours contact number prominently on the hoarding; this is required by many local authorities and by the CCS.

Asbestos Signage and Warning Areas

Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, wherever licensed asbestos removal is being carried out, the work area must be designated and access controlled. Signage requirements are specified in CAR 2012 and the associated Approved Code of Practice (L143):

  • Warning signs must be displayed at all points of access to the asbestos removal area: "DANGER ASBESTOS — DO NOT ENTER WITHOUT AUTHORISED PROTECTION"
  • Signs must be in accordance with the Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996
  • No unauthorised person may enter the licensed asbestos removal area

On a demolition site, the asbestos removal area is typically a section of the building enclosed with a poly sheeting enclosure (negative-pressure enclosure with air filtration). The hoarding forms the outer perimeter; asbestos signage forms the inner perimeter of the removal area. The two must be clearly distinguished so that site workers understand where the licensed zone begins.

Fragile Surface Warnings and Fall Prevention

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 Regulation 9 requires that, where access to fragile surfaces cannot be avoided, measures must be taken to prevent falls through them. Warning signs are required at all access points to areas where fragile surfaces exist: fragile roofs (older cement-fibre sheets, older metal decking, corroded steel), fragile floors (timber floors undermined by demolition below), and any other surface whose load-bearing capacity may be compromised.

The standard fragile surface warning sign is a yellow triangle ("Warning") with a figure falling through a surface, and text reading "DANGER FRAGILE ROOF" or "DANGER FRAGILE SURFACE". Additional physical controls — crawling boards over fragile roofing, temporary platforms over fragile floors — are required in addition to signage. Signage alone does not satisfy the Regulations where the fragile surface must be accessed.

Vehicle Access Control and Banksman Requirements

Vehicle access to demolition sites through hoarding gates creates a specific public safety hazard: large plant and heavy goods vehicles crossing or blocking the public footway. The requirements are:

  • Gates must be wide enough for the plant to pass without the plant approaching the public footway. 4 m minimum; 6 m for HGV access.
  • Gates must be kept closed when no vehicle is passing. A closed gate prevents children and opportunistic intruders from entering the site; an open gate constitutes a failure of site security.
  • A trained banksman must be present whenever a vehicle is moving through the gate. The banksman controls both vehicle movement and pedestrian passage. They must be equipped with the appropriate PPE (hi-vis, gloves) and, ideally, paddles rather than hand signals only.
  • Where vehicle movements are frequent (more than 5–6 per hour), a full traffic management scheme with temporary traffic lights or manual control may be required under the Traffic Management Act 2004.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Heras fencing as the primary site hoarding?

Heras (or similar panel fencing) is suitable for temporary, low-risk boundaries — for example, enclosing a plant compound on a larger site, or securing a site over a short weekend period when no work is underway. It is not suitable as the primary site boundary adjacent to a public footway for an active demolition site. Heras fencing is easily climbed, easily pushed over, and provides no structural resistance to debris impact or to being knocked by plant. CDM 2015 requires "all reasonable steps" to prevent unauthorised access — and a standard Heras fence on a live demolition site does not meet that standard.

How long does it take to get a highway licence for hoarding?

Typically 6–8 weeks from application to approval for a straightforward scheme. Complex sites, those in Conservation Areas, or those with significant carriageway impact can take 12 weeks or more. Do not assume this can be done in a week — many demolition projects have been delayed because the hoarding licence was not applied for at the right time. Apply at the same time as submitting the CDM F10 notification.

What lighting is needed on hoarding during darkness?

External illumination of the hoarding and any temporary pedestrian route must be maintained during hours of darkness. The standard for external pedestrian lighting is BS EN 12464-2 (Lighting of workplaces: Outdoor). In practice, you need a minimum average illuminance of 1 lux on the footway surface, with a uniformity ratio (minimum to average) of at least 0.4. Temporary construction lighting on the hoarding — typically 500 W or LED equivalent floodlights at 5 m intervals — is the standard approach. Emergency lighting under BS 5266 is required if the hoarding blocks a designated emergency egress route from adjacent buildings.

Are there specific Considerate Constructors Scheme requirements for hoarding?

Yes. The CCS Code of Considerate Practice includes criteria on how sites care for the community, which directly covers hoarding condition, appearance, and community messaging. Auditors award scores on: whether the hoarding is maintained in good condition; whether it includes positive community messaging (project description, development images, site team contact details); whether lighting is adequate; and whether the site boundary is clean and free from fly-posting. A poorly maintained hoarding is a reliable way to lose CCS audit points and risk non-registration.

Regulations & Standards