Consent Street Trading Policy 2026
Regulatory and policy framework
Street trading means selling, exposing, or offering for sale any article (including a living thing) in a street. This includes a wide range of retail activities, for example food, beverages, arts and crafts, jewellery, household goods, and clothing. It could also include the sale of vehicles from the roadside.
A street means any road, footway, beach, service area or other area to which the public have access to without payment. The Courts have confirmed that any land located away from the highway which the public can access without payment, including privately owned land, is capable of being a street for these purposes. For example, this could include open spaces, parks, car parks, trading estates, forecourts, businesses, retail parks and pedestrianised precincts.
Certain activities are exempted from street trading control by the legislation. These include:
- trading as a pedlar under a pedlar's certificate
- trading at an established market or fair the right to hold which having been obtained by a grant, enactment, or order
- trading as a news vendor
- trading at a petrol station or shop or from a street adjoining a shop which is used as part of the business of the shop
- trading as a roundsman (delivering pre-ordered goods to customers)
- trading from a licensed highway area (pavement licence)
- trading under a street collection permit for charitable purposes
There are no prohibited streets within the Borough, each location will be assessed on its own merits. The A19 and A66 are designated as major roads, roadside sales are controlled by section 23 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 and Section 147a of the Highways Act 1980 prohibits roadside sales where it is likely to cause a danger to road users.
