The Review has joined forces with local solicitors Debenhams Ottaway to offer our readers the best legal advice.

Below Stephen Mendham, planning and environment lawyer at Debenhams Ottaway answers a reader's question.

Q: We are carrying out some extensive DIY to our property and are also taking the opportunity to clear out some of the junk that we have accumulated over the years. In order to dispose of the rubbish we are intending to hire a skip. How do we know that we are dealing with a reputable and properly authorised company and that the contents of the skip will be properly disposed of?

A: Stephen Mendham, planning and environment lawyer at Debenhams Ottaway solicitors responds: Most people consider that their biggest headache in hiring a skip will be preventing its use by their neighbours for disposing of their own rubbish, so it is very laudable to think beyond such immediate concerns. It is also very wise to do so.

I am assuming that the DIY activities are not so extensive as to require formal authorisation under the Building Regulations, listed building consent or even full planning permission.

When disposing of items in your skip you need to ensure that the items are not hazardous waste, such as asbestos or toxic materials, and that the contents of the skip are kept safe, especially if the skip is placed on a public highway. If you are placing the skip on a public highway you need to check that you are complying with various legislation, such as section 139 of the Highways Act which requires that permission of the highway authority has been obtained to keep the skip in the road and to ensure that it is adequately lit.

A number of skip hire operators belong to the trade organisation, the National Skip Hire Association, which requires its members to conform with a Code of Practice. It can be a good starting point in finding reputable and authorised skip hire operators. Indeed it is essential that you do carry out such checks as following the prosecution of a skip hire company earlier this year the Environment Agency reminded the public that anyone who allows their waste to be taken away by a person or company operating unlawfully also risks prosecution with a fine that could be potentially unlimited in more extreme cases.

Most skip hire operators require a licence from the Environment Agency to carry the waste. If they run their own waste facilities for the storage or disposal of the waste then they will also need a permit from the Environment Agency to run that facility.

The Environment Agency suggests the following reasonable steps should be taken to check that a skip hire company is operating lawfully: - Asking the skip hire company to provide its full address and telephone number - Noting the registration number of the vehicle taking the skip away - Requesting sight of the waste carriers licence issued by the Environment Agency - Contacting the Environment Agency directly for a free instant Waste Carrier Validation Check (this can also be done online).

If you have any questions arising either in relation to the need for authorisation for works that you are carrying out or the disposal of resulting waste, you should seek legal advice from a specialist planning and environmental lawyer.