Licences and street trading
Street trading
Street trading means the selling, exposing for sale or offering
for sale of any article or the supplying or offering to supply any
service in a street for gain or reward. A street includes any road,
footway or other area that is within seven metres of a road or
footway and is not enclosed and to which the public have access
without payment.
To sell most items or services on the street, or run a market
stall, you will require a licence from the Council.
Permits are also required for collections by charities. It
is illegal for charities to hold a street collection to collect
money or sell articles for the benefit of charitable or other
purposes without obtaining a street collection licence from us, if
that collection is to be held 'in a street or public place'.
The purpose of the legal requirement to obtain consent is to
ensure collectors are properly authorised and that money is
collected in a secure way and the total proceeds collected are
properly accounted for.
A permit is also usually required to undertake a 'house to
house' collection, under the House to House Collections Act 1939.
Collections generally take place from door to door, shop to shop
etc for a charitable purpose.