Garden Bin Storage: Sizes, Lids and the Front Garden Rule

Garden bin storage looks like a five-minute purchase until you measure the bins. A council 240 litre wheelie bin is about 107cm tall, 58cm wide and 74cm deep, and most homes now have three or four containers to house once weekly food waste caddies are counted. Get the internal sizes, the lid clearance or the planning position wrong, and you end up with a store the bins do not fit, or one the council asks you to move.

This page covers the measurements to work from, the materials that last, where a bin store can go without a planning application, and the details that decide whether you will actually use it on collection day.

Measure your bins before you buy anything

Bin sizes vary a little by manufacturer and council, so measure your own. As a starting point, Croydon Council publishes these dimensions for its bins:

180 litre wheelie bin: 107cm high, 48cm wide, 72cm deep.
240 litre wheelie bin: 107cm high, 58cm wide, 74cm deep. This is the most common household size.
360 litre wheelie bin: 109.8cm high, 61cm wide, 88cm deep.

Then add clearance. Each bay needs a few centimetres either side so the bin rolls in without scraping, and the store needs to be deep enough for the handle, which sticks out at the back. A bay that matches the bin’s width to the centimetre will be a daily irritation.

Lid clearance is the measurement people forget

A wheelie bin lid hinges at the back and swings up past vertical. A store with a fixed roof only a few centimetres above the bin means pulling the bin out every time you throw a bag away. Three ways to solve it:

A hinged roof that lifts with the bin lid, often linked by a chain or strap so opening the store lid opens the bin.
A taller store with enough headroom for the lid to open fully inside it.
An open-fronted screen with no roof at all, which hides the bins from the street but does nothing for rain.

Count every container, not just the wheelie bins

Under the Simpler Recycling reforms, councils in England have been moving every household onto weekly food waste collections, with 31 March 2026 the deadline set for household services. That usually means a kerbside food caddy alongside the general waste and recycling bins, plus a garden waste bin if you pay for one. Plan a bay or a shelf for each, or the overflow ends up beside the store.

Wood, metal or plastic: which bin store lasts

Timber: the most common choice and the easiest to blend with fences and planting. Look for pressure-treated softwood, keep the base off the ground on bearers or slabs, and treat it every year or two. Slatted fronts let air through, which helps with smells in summer.
Metal: galvanised or powder-coated steel stores are tough, do not rot and are harder to break into, but they get hot in sun and can dent. Check fixings are galvanised too, or rust stains will run down the panels.
Plastic and resin: light, cheap and wipe-clean, with no maintenance. Thin panels flex and can blow over if not fixed down, and the colours fade in direct sun.
Brick or block: the most permanent option and common on new builds. It needs a footing and counts as a structure for planning purposes, so it is the option most likely to need a conversation with the council.

Living roofs and planters

Many timber stores come with a planted roof tray or planter on top. They soften the look, but a wet planted roof is heavy, so the frame needs to be built for the load and the lid hinge needs to be strong enough to lift it. Sedum mats suit a shallow tray better than bedding plants.

Slatted timber bin shed with a hinged door and corrugated roof — A slatted timber refuse bin shed built from pallet wood | Pallet Refuse Bin Shed by Fanti Salms (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pallet_Refuse_Bin_Shed.jpg

Do you need planning permission for a bin store?

For most houses in England, a bin store in the back garden or down the side can go up under permitted development, the same rules that cover sheds and other outbuildings. The Planning Portal outbuildings guidance sets the limits that matter for a bin store:

Not forward of the principal elevation: no outbuilding on land in front of the wall that forms the main front of the house.
2.5m within 2m of a boundary: anything within two metres of a boundary can be no more than 2.5 metres high. No domestic bin store comes close to that.
Half the garden: outbuildings and extensions together can cover no more than half the land around the original house.
Listed buildings: any outbuilding within the curtilage of a listed building needs planning permission.
Designated land: in conservation areas, National Parks and similar areas, enclosures to the side of the house need planning permission.

The front garden problem

This is where most people are caught out. Plenty of terraced houses have nowhere to keep bins except the front garden, but a store in front of the principal elevation falls outside permitted development. Whether a small freestanding screen counts as development can depend on its size, how permanent it is and your council’s view; a fixed timber or brick structure is much more likely to be treated as development. If you are unsure, ask your council before building, especially in a conservation area.

The government consulted in 2024 on a new permitted development right for bin and bike stores in front gardens, up to 2m wide, 1m deep and 1.5m high. As of October 2026 the consultation page still says the government is analysing the feedback, and the planning order that came into force on 21 October 2026 does not include it. Until the rules actually change, do not rely on those dimensions.

Our page on planning permission for garden sheds covers the same outbuilding rules in more detail.

Details that make a bin store work every week

A level, hard base. Paving slabs or a concrete pad stop the bins sinking and the store rocking. Lay it flush with the path so the wheels roll straight on.
A clear route to the kerb. Steps, gravel and narrow side gates make collection day harder. Check the bins will still go through the gate when the store is in place.
Doors that stay open. A simple hook or catch stops doors swinging shut on the bin while you pull it out.
Somewhere for the numbers. If your council asks for house numbers on bins, make sure they are still visible or easy to check.
Fix it down. Light stores and screens should be anchored to the base or a wall so a gust does not tip them onto a car.
Keep foxes out. A closed store helps, but food caddies still need their own lids locked.

Combining bin storage with other garden storage

A long store can take bins in one section and garden tools, recycling boxes or logs in another. If you are weighing up a combined unit, our page on a shed with a log store covers how to split one structure between dry storage and open, ventilated bays. Keep bins in the end nearest the gate.

Frequently asked questions

What size bin store do I need for two wheelie bins?

For two 240 litre bins at about 58cm wide each, allow at least 130cm of internal width so each bin has room either side, and around 80cm or more of depth for the handle. Measure your own bins first, as sizes vary.

Do I need planning permission for a wheelie bin store in my front garden?

A fixed store in front of the main front wall of the house falls outside permitted development in England, so it may need permission. The 2024 proposal to allow front garden bin stores without an application has not been made law. Check with your council.

Can I put a bin store on gravel?

You can, but bins are hard to wheel across gravel and the store can settle unevenly. A strip of paving slabs under the store and along the route to the gate makes collection day far easier.

How do I stop my bin store smelling?

Choose a store with slatted or vented panels so air moves through, keep it out of full afternoon sun if you can, and rinse the bins and the base now and then. Food waste in sealed caddies helps most.

Is a wooden or plastic bin store better?

Timber looks better and lasts if it is treated and kept off the ground. Plastic needs no maintenance but can fade and needs fixing down. Metal is the most secure and does not rot.

Can a bin store go against my neighbour’s fence?

Yes, within permitted development the limit near a boundary is 2.5 metres high, which no ordinary bin store reaches. Keep it freestanding rather than fixing it to your neighbour’s fence.

See more storage and garden building advice on Best Garden Room.