Waste Injunction Against Persons Unknown
On 20 February 2026, following a High Court hearing on 13 February 2026, judgment was handed down confirming the grant of an injunction in favour of Birmingham City Council by Mr Justice Pepperall for a period of 3 months.
The injunction was initially in place until 20 May 2026.
On 18 May 2026, following a High Court hearing on the same date, judgment was handed down by Mr Justice Choudhury confirming the extension of the injunction. The injunction will now be in place until 20 November 2026, final determination of the claim or further order.
The hearing also determined that the claim should continue under the normal Part 7 process of the Court.
A copy of the Court's sealed Order is available in the "Extension Hearing" section. A copy of the judgment and a transcript of the hearing will also be made available there as soon as possible.
About the injunction
The injunction prohibits protesting activities by persons unknown who, in support of strikes organised by Unite the Union ("Unite") and without the council's consent:
- enter, occupy or remain on, or block or obstruct the entering or exiting of any other individual or vehicle to and from the following locations:
- Atlas Depot, 70/72 Kings Road, Tyseley, Birmingham, B11 2AS
- Lifford Lane Depot, Ebury Road, Kings Norton, Birmingham, B3 3JJ
- Perry Barr Depot, Holford Drive, Birmingham B42 2TU
- Smithfield Depot, Sherlock Street, Birmingham, B5 6HX
And / or
- block or obstruct any of the council's street management vehicles within the City of Birmingham.
Anyone breaching the injunction could be:
- imprisoned for up to 2 years
- fined, and / or
- have their assets seized for contempt of court
Therefore, anyone involved in, or interested in, the protests must note the terms of the injunction as set out in the "Order documents" section.
The injunction granted on 20 February 2026, and subsequently extended on 18 May 2026, does not block or obstruct the provision of waste services in Birmingham, nor limit lawful picketing and protest activity carried out in accordance with the existing injunction granted by the High Court against Unite (dated 27 May 2025). This injunction was extended on 29 May 2025 and applied to Smithfield Depot on 25 June 2025.
Other applications and documents
The council has now issued Particulars of Claim, which are available under the "Pleadings" section.
If you wish to defend the claim, the deadline to file an Acknowledgement of Service was February 2025, and the deadline to file any defence or admission was by 9 March 2026. The Response Pack is available under the "Pleadings" section.
A transcript of the hearing on 13 February 2026 and copies of the hearing documents are set out in the "Hearing documents" section. Documents relating to the council's original application are set out in the "Application documents" section.
Supporting information
Where possible, we have taken steps to make sure supporting documents comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), but some documents may not be fully accessible to users of assistive technology.
If you need help accessing a document, email MonitoringOfficer@Birmingham.gov.uk.
Application documents and evidence
View the injunction application, witness statements and exhibits.
View the injunction extension application, witness statements and exhibits.
View supporting video evidence on YouTube.
Hearing documents
View the court order and other hearing documents.
Extension hearing
View the court order and hearing documents in relation to the injunction extension.
Order documents
View the court order and other documents.
Pleadings
View the pleadings submitted by the council.
Page last updated: 20 May 2026
