Street Trading
Applications for street trading consent should be made to the district council for the area you wish to trade.
What is Street Trading
Street trading is the selling or offering/exposing for sale any article including a living thing in the street.
A ‘street’ is a very wide definition and includes any road, footway, pavement, layby or grass verge as well as any land, including private land, to which the public have access without payment. The next section on Location explains how 'street' is defined in Stroud District
You do not need street trading consent if you are promoting a service or product in the street . For example you do not need street trading consent if you stand in the street and get sign ups for an energy provider, or if you are giving out flyers or free samples for a product.
If you are promoting a service or product and intend to put up a stand, gazebo or other structure on the highway you may need the permission of Gloucestershire Highways. You can contact them on highways@gloucestershire.gov.uk
Location
In Stroud District you will need to apply for street trading consent if you intend to trade on the following:
- Any public highway including laybys, streets, verges and pavements
- Any private land that the public can access without payment, this includes supermarket carparks.
In Stroud District you will not need street trading consent if intend to trade on the following:
- Any land owned and managed by County Council (except Highways), Stroud District Council or Town and Parish Councils. You will need the permission of the relevant Council.
- Any land owned and managed by a registered charity. You will need the permission of the charity.
A suitable pitch must meet the following criteria:
- Be safe for other street users including traffic and pedestrians. Access roads on industrial estates, where heavy lorries manoeuvre, are generally unsuitable places for static units.
- Be safe for customers using the street trading unit. Lay-bys on main roads must have good visibility to ensure the safety for traffic entering and leaving the trading site/lay-by. There should be suitable parking spaces for customer and trading vehicles.
- Not cause any potential for obstruction, interference, inconvenience or nuisance to other street users including other traders, traffic and pedestrians. Units in town centres must not impede the movement of pedestrians or delivery vehicles or block the frontage of shops or access to existing premises. Units should not cause loss of parking spaces to residents or businesses.
- Not cause any potential for nuisance to residents and other businesses for example noise and/or smell. Locations close to residential properties are unlikely to be suitable due to the potential noise and smell nuisance to residents.
- The goods being sold complement and do not conflict with the goods sold by other established retailers within vicinity.
Before applying for a Street Trading Consent you may wish to look through our list of locations that have previously been refused.
Stroud District Council's Resolution and Policy Adopted 2020
The Resolution designates the 'streets' in Stroud District where street trading is prohibited unless the trader holds street trading consent issued by Stroud District Council. In the legislation 'streets' is a broad term and includes streets, pavements, laybys and any land, including private land, that the public have access to without payment.
Stroud District Council’s Resolution 2020 designates all 'streets' as consent streets except 'streets' owned and managed by public authorities and registered charities, with the exception of public highways.
Stroud District Council’s Street Trading Policy outlines the Council’s approach to the licensing of street trading in Stroud district. It is used when making decisions about whether to grant or refuse street trading consents and provides guidance to new applicants and existing consent holders.
Types of Application
The Council issues different types of street trading consent.
1. Long Term Consents
Static Unit Consent
Static street trading consents are issued for a stall or vehicle which returns to one place every day or for regular periods of time. The unit or stall must be removed each day at the end of the trading period.
A static street trading consent may be granted for any period not exceeding 12 months.
Mobile Unit Consent
Mobile street trading consents are issued to traders who wish to move from place to place. A mobile consent trader must not remain in one place for more than 30 minutes at a time and not return to the same site within 2 hours. A typical mobile consent would be an ice-cream van.
A mobile street trading consent only permits trading within Stroud District Council’s area. If the unit goes into areas outside of Stroud District it will also need consent from the relevant authority.
A mobile street trading consent may be granted for any period not exceeding 12 months.
Making an application for a Static or Mobile Consent
You should complete the application form and notice of intention and submit any supporting documents. There is a non refundable consultation fee that must be paid with the application. The consultation fee for a static consent is £174. The consultation fee for a mobile consent is £46.
Documents required are:
- Proof of eligibility of the applicant to work in the UK
- Plan showing the proposed trading location with position of the unit(s) shown in red. (Not required for mobile units ).
- Written permission from a landowner if the street trading activity is to be carried out on any land owned privately.
On receipt of your application, documents and payment of the consultation fee, the Council will circulate the notice of intention to relevant authorities and agencies as well as with neighbouring residents and businesses. A period of 28 days is normally allowed for comments to be received before a decision can be made.
If the decision is to grant the consent you must provide the following documents and pay a consent fee before you an start trading.
- Third party public liability insurance up to £10,000,000.
- A Basic Criminal Disclosure check that is not more than 1 month old for the applicant and any person/s that will be assisting on a regular basis. Basic Criminal Disclosure checks can be obtained from the Disclosure and Barring Service. Information can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/request-copy-criminal-record or by calling 03000 200 190.
- One passport sized photograph of the applicant and any person/s that will be assisting with the trading on a regular basis.
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Long Term Consent Fees Band 1: Sites considered to be prime sites and will normally include sites which are within or adjacent to established shopping areas. Band 2: Are all other sites within the district |
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Mobile Traders – Per quarter |
£168.00 |
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Mobile Traders – Per Annum |
£614.00 |
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Static Traders Band 1 – Per Quarter |
£614.00 |
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Static Traders Band 1 – Per Annum |
£2038.00 |
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Static Traders Band 2 – Per Quarter |
£373.00 |
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Static Traders Band 2 – Per Annum |
£1227.00 |
Guidance on Mobile and Static Consents
New Application and Notice of Intention
2. Short term Consent
Short term consents are issued to traders or events where trading is only for one day or a few days.
Short term single traders: a consent will be issued to traders who only want to trade in a particular location for a few days. The consent will only be granted for a period of up to 7 days.
Short term commercial events: a consent will cover a number of stalls/traders and may be granted if the following applies:
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The trading stalls are part of an organised even with an organising group committee/individual
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The event is no more than 7 days
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Short Term Consent - Fees Granted for a period of up to 7 days |
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Short Term Consent – First day |
£37.00 |
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Short Term Consent – Additional days |
£5.25 |
Short Term single trader Application Form
Short Term commercial event application form
Short Term Community and Charitable Events
If the primary purpose of your event is for the benefit of the community or for fundraising for a charitable cause then you can apply for a short term community and charitable events consent
The fee is £16 but in most cases you can request for the fee to be waived.
Street Trading at events guidance
Short Term community and charitable event application form
3. Market Consent
Market street trading consents are issued to markets that do not operate under a Market Charter or Order. A market consent will cover a number of stalls. Please contact the licensing section for more information.
Market consent application form
Fees