Waste Injunction Against Persons Unknown
About the injunction
On 20 February 2026, following a High Court hearing which took place 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. At this time the exact terms of the Order are still awaited from the Court and will be uploaded here when they are available.
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.
Once the terms of the final Order are confirmed by the Court, anyone breaching the injunction could be imprisoned for up to 2 years, fined, and/or have their assets seized for contempt of court.
The injunction granted on 20 February 2026 does not seek to limit protesting activity that does not block or obstruct the provision of waste services in Birmingham, or to 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.
The injunction will be in in effect until trial or further order but in any event for not more than an initial period of three months.
A copy of the judgment handed down on 20 February 2026 is available in the "Order Documents" section below. A sealed copy of the Order will be uploaded as soon as it is provided by the Court.
A transcript of the hearing on 13 February 2026 and copies of the hearing documents are set out in the "Hearing Documents" section below. Documents relating to the Council's original application are set out in the "Application Documents" section below.
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 for users of assistive technology.
If you need help to access a document, email: MonitoringOfficer@Birmingham.gov.uk
Application documents and evidence
View the injunction application, witness statements and exhibits
View supporting video evidence on YouTube
Hearing documents
View the court order and other hearing documents
Order documents
View the court order and other documents
Page last updated: 20 February 2026
