A bin store is a building regulation matter as well as a council collection one. Requirement H6 of the Building Regulations requires adequate provision for the storage of solid waste and adequate means of access for it, and Approved Document H gives statutory guidance on how to meet it. This guide summarises that guidance for England, based on the 2015 edition of the document, and applies to new buildings, extensions and material changes of use in England only, since GOV.UK describes Approved Document H as a building regulation for England.

What Requirement H6 says

Requirement H6 has two parts. Under H6(1), adequate provision must be made for storage of solid waste. Under H6(2), adequate means of access must be provided for people in the building to the place of storage, and from the place of storage to a collection point where one has been specified by the waste collection authority under section 46 or 47 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, or to a street where no collection point has been specified. Approved Document H says H6 applies to the erection or extension of a building and to all material changes of use described in Regulation 5. In the Secretary of State’s view, as Approved Document H puts it, the requirement will be met if the storage is designed and sited so as not to be prejudicial to health or local amenity, is of sufficient area for the number and size of receptacles the authority requires, and is accessible for use and for removal to the collection point.

The council role in setting requirements

Approved Document H says the efficacy of a refuse storage system depends on its capacity and the ease of removal in relation to the collection service the waste collection authority provides. It says the authority has powers under sections 46 and 47 to specify the type and number of receptacles and where waste should be placed for collection, and that consultation should take place with the authority to determine its requirements. Those powers are explained in the guide to bin notices and receptacles.

Capacity and number of containers for homes

For domestic developments the guidance says space should be provided for containers for separated waste, with recyclable waste stored apart from waste that cannot be recycled, with a combined capacity of 0.25 cubic metres per dwelling, or another capacity agreed with the authority. Where collections are less frequent than weekly, the allowance should be increased. In low-rise developments, meaning houses, bungalows and flats up to the fourth floor, each dwelling should have or have access to a location where at least two movable individual or communal containers meeting the authority’s requirements can be stored. Where each dwelling has its own storage area, 1.2 m by 1.2 m should be sufficient.

In multi-storey developments, dwellings up to the fourth floor may each have their own container or share one. Dwellings above the fourth storey may share a single container for non-recyclable waste fed by chute, with separate storage for recyclable waste, or storage compounds or rooms may be provided.

Siting and carrying distances

The guidance says storage areas and chutes should be sited so that the distance householders must carry refuse does not usually exceed 30 m, excluding vertical distance, and containers should be within 25 m of the collection point specified by the authority. Unless it is completely unavoidable, containers should be able to reach the collection point without going through a building, other than a porch, garage, car port or other open covered space, and this applies only to new buildings. For containers up to 250 litres, steps should be avoided and should not exceed three, and slopes should not exceed 1 in 12. External storage should be away from windows and ventilators, preferably in shade or under shelter, and should not interfere with pedestrian or vehicle access to buildings.

Enclosures and design

Where an enclosure, compound or store room is provided, the guidance says it should allow room for filling and emptying and a clear space of 150 mm around the containers. Communal enclosures should be at least 2 m high, and individual enclosures should be high enough for the lid to open. An enclosure should be permanently ventilated at the top and bottom and have a paved impervious floor. Any room or compound for open storage should be secure against vermin unless waste is in secure containers with close-fitting lids.

Keeping access clear

Approved Document H refers to section 23 of the Building Act 1984, under which it is unlawful for any person, except with the consent of the building control authority, to close or obstruct the means of access by which refuse is removed from a building. A person who contravenes it is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale. Bins in shared homes are also dealt with in the guide to bins and rubbish in shared houses.

FAQs

Does H6 tell me how many bins I must own?

No. The authority specifies receptacles under sections 46 and 47, and H6 requires adequate storage for the number and size it requires.

How far can the bin store be from the collection point?

Approved Document H says containers should be within 25 m of the collection point, and storage should be sited so the carry distance does not usually exceed 30 m.

Can I block the route bins are taken along?

Section 23(3) of the Building Act 1984 makes it unlawful to close or obstruct the means of access by which refuse is removed from a building without the building control authority’s consent.

The bottom line

In England, Building Regulations Requirement H6 requires adequate storage for solid waste and adequate access to a collection point. Approved Document H sets out the guidance for new homes and conversions, including 0.25 cubic metres of container capacity per dwelling, a carry distance not usually above 30 m and enclosure design. Closing or obstructing refuse access without consent is unlawful. This is general information, not legal advice.

Sources

This guide draws on the following primary sources, current as of 25 September 2026:

• GOV.UK, “Drainage and waste disposal: Approved Document H” (Building Regulations guidance for England)
• MHCLG, “Approved Document H: Drainage and waste disposal” (2015 edition, H6 Solid waste storage)
• legislation.gov.uk, “Building Act 1984, section 23: Provision of facilities for refuse”

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