It is often asked whether or not your need to obtain planning permission before placing your storage container in the required location.

In short, the answer should be no you dont, as the structures themselves are not permanent and can therefore be removed quite easily at any time. Also, they in no way alter the structure of the buildings themselves and are stand alone features which are used for a variety of different functions.

However, it is advisable that you do some research into the exact specifications of your container and where you will be placing it. This could mean a trip to the local library and a flick through some relevant literature, or making a short appointment with a planning officer.

It is also advisable that you determine whether or not the structure is to be placed within a residential area, likely to cause unrest amongst the homeowners, or situated close to a road junction. These are factors which may need to be resolved before the actual container can be placed in the desired spot.

On the whole, planning application is not needed for storage containers, however it is important that you recognise the above issues which you may need to look into for piece of mind.

One question which we are often asked surrounds the security of storage containers. Obviously if you are going to be storing an amount of stock or products within the container, then you need to know that the structure is secure and the chances of theft are minimal.

This is one area which you need to clarify with us when you make your purchase as we can advise several different ways which will put your mind at rest with regard to this. However the first thing which we would suggest is to think carefully about where you place the container. Some locations will hold a greater risk than others and it is important that you consider this as soon as possible.

Secondly, you need to check what levels of security are already present as part of the container. For example, the facility to lock the structure using a padlock is fairly standard and it is important that this is one of the things you make sure of at the very least. Should you require further security, then it is a good idea to employ a steel lock box to the doors of the structure. This will make sure that the lock cannot be tampered with and that your storage is fully secure.

Finally, check where the nearest CCTV camera is and make sure that you place the required documentation of this on the structure.

Once the above has been satisfied then you can rest assured that your container and the contents of it are safe and you can relax safe in the knowledge of this.

In today’s society everyone is becoming more and more environmentally friendly and as part of this there is a growing trend in the amount of recycling which is being carried out on a yearly basis.

We are all encouraged to recycle as much as possible and to only use what we actually need to. For many people, this just means placing their refuse in different bins depending on the materials which they are comprised of. However, within the container industry it is rather more complex. There are many issues which influence this area of our industry and over the coming weeks we will explore many of them.

However, to set the ball rolling we would like to provide you with some advice when purchasing a shipping container or a storage container. Before you make any firm decision, it is important that you try to determine how long you will be requiring the structure for. If this is a relatively short period then you may be better hiring a container than buying one outright.  This way you are not left with an empty container when you have finished with it and it can then be put to more functional uses.

We have previously documented the vast amount of empty shipping containers which are infiltrating many UK ports. This is a sad state of affairs and is one which is being looked into by the authorities concerned. To a lesser extent this also occurs with storage containers around the county and this is something which collectively we need to address.

Please do talk to us about all your storage and shipping container requirements and we can advise you the optimum route to take.

When investing in second hand storage containers, then there are a few factors which you should bear in mind before making the purchase. This will ensure that you are making an informed and educated investment and will not be disappointed with it in the future.

First of all, it is pretty self explanatory that you need to know what the container has been used for in the past, as this will affect the condition of the structure itself. All containers should be structurally secure and safe from weathering factors which may erode the container over time.

It is also important that you view the container before making the purchase – make sure to ask how old the structure is and make a special effort to inspect the doors and the roof as these are particularly susceptible to weaknesses.

You also need to check the security of the container and any locks or cowls which may be fitted. Make sure that these are in good working order and you will not have to invest in any renovation to restore the structure to former glories.

Finally, and most importantly, discuss your requirements with one of our members of staff, who will be able to give you an educated, objective view as to what will serve your requirements best.

One of the fundamental areas which you need to consider when employing any storage container is the internal climate within it. Depending on what products you are storing, then the emphasis which you place on this will change. For example, if you are storing fresh vegetables then the internal climate will be of higher importance than if you were storing leaflets.

When considering the internal climate of the container, then it is important that you consider the external conditions which play a critical part in this.

There are a number of different factors, all of which have a bearing on the external climate conditions. These include if, and how the goods are to be transported, the time of year, and the immediate weather trends.  Due to the unpredictability of some of these factors, predictions of how the external climate will alter over a period of time can never be an exact science.

Following on from this, it is also not advisable to use previous experiences of product storage to generate exact guidelines for future projects. Every operation is fundamentally different in terms of climate control, however a general awareness of the issues involved is beneficial in considering transport risks.