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.