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Christmas Lights and Carnival Bunting.
Any festive decorations such as Christmas Lights, Bunting and banners over or within the highway all need a permit and need to comply with Denbighshire County Council’s requirements in accordance with the Highways Act 1980, section 178.
All Christmas decorations or lighting and any banners which are hung across the carriageway must be supported on catenary wires which are in turn, securely fixed to buildings on either side of the highway. Any carnival bunting or flags will only be permitted to be hung parallel to the direction of traffic and cannot be fixed to street lighting columns without specific approval.
Public liability insurance to the value of £5 million Is required. This can be covered by the Contractor carrying out the work, or in the case of the installation being left in place for 12 months or more the owner will also need to have public liability cover for the duration of the installation.
Full details of the requirements for festive lighting are given below, together with an application form.
DENBIGHSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL, TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE, STREETWORKS UNIT, CALEDFRYN, SMITHFIELD ROAD, DENBIGH LL16 3RJ
For further advise advice contact:-
Denbighshire CC Street Lighting department on 01824 712140 or 712141
CONDITIONS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF FESTIVE OR DECORATIVE ILLUMINATIONS IN OR ABOVE THE HIGHWAY
- 1. A written application, complete with detailed plans must be submitted to and approved by the County Council Highway Authority, before installation work can commence. A new application must be submitted each year.
- 2. All installations must comply with the requirements of the current edition of the “Code of Practice for the Safe Use Laser Systems, Festival or Other Entertainment Lighting Equipment in Public Places” 1995 as published by the Institutions of Lighting Engineers.
- 3. Certificates of insurance indemnifying the County Council against third party claims related to the installation, removal or operation of the decoration and any damage to Council property shall be submitted prior to installation.The limit of cover shall be no less than £3 million for each and every claim. A copy of the insurance certificate should be forwarded to the Highway Authority at the same time as permission is requested to erect the decorations.
- 4. Decorations which contain flashing red, yellow, or green lamps should not be installed within the visual area of traffic lights or pelican crossings.
- 5. Equipment must be erected and removed within periods to be agreed with the Highway Authority before the lighting erection works commence.
- 6. Amy damage caused to Highway Authority property by the installation or operation of the decoration will be repaired by the Highway Authority and an account rendered to the installer or operator.
- 7. The owner of the equipment must at his own expense, maintain the equipment in good repair during installation, operation and until the equipment is removed.
- 8. The owner of the equipment must remove his equipment, at his own expense, immediately, if requested to do so by the Highway Authority.
- 9. The Highway Authority has the right to disconnect and remove any or all equipment which in its opinion is unsafe or dangerous to the general public. The cost of this work is rechargeable to the equipment owner.
- 10. The installer and/or operator must ensure that all installation and maintenance works are carried out in a safe manner. Where catenary wires and/or spans are to be installed over the highway then the installer should consult with the County Council as Highway Authority, regarding the method and time of installation.
- 11. All equipment mounted at or below 2.5 metres above ground level must be supplied at a maximum of 110 volts though a centre tapped transformer with maximum voltage to earth of 55 volts and should incorporate a residual current circuit breaker with a 30mA rating.
- 12. Separate sub-circuit arrangement arrangements must be made for the permanent equipment and individual elements of the temporary installation.
- 13. All electrical installations shall upon installation be tested in accordance with current I.E.E Wiring Regulations and all other appropriate legislation, upon installation and on an annual basis thereafter if left in place. All Testing Certificates must be submitted to the Highway Authority, within 14 days of testing.
- 14. All connectors, coupling and terminators must be weather proof, lockable and in compliance with the I.E.E Wiring Regulations (BS7671) Plugs and sockets to BS4363 I.P. 67 rating should be used wherever possible.
- 15. No decoration or suspension systems or any part thereof should be less than 5.7 metres above the highway.
- 16. Loads on catenary cables and fixings shall not exceed the certified Safe Working Load of each individual site.
- All catenary cables and fixings must be used and inspected upon installation and thereafter on an annual basis. All Test Certificates must be submitted to the County Council as Highway Authority within 14 days of testing.
(pdf, 29.93 KB) Christmas Lights Application Form.