Street Trading
What is Street Trading?
Street Trading can be classed as anyone intending to:
- sell
- expose
- or offer for sale any article (including a living thing)
This also includes advertising the goods for sale.
Where does Street Trading apply?
Street trading consent is issued by us and is required in the following public areas on the Isle of Wight:
- current streets/roads
- council car parks
- recreation grounds
- open spaces along with all public parks
- gardens
- amenity areas
- sports areas
- play areas
- parking bays adopted by us.
Street trading applies to:
- markets
- mobile traders
- static traders.
A street trading consent is not required for:
- selling only newspapers and periodicals
- selling goods for charitable purposes (but a street collection permit will be required)
- a pedlar.
Isle of Wight Council Street Trading Policy
As the licensing authority, we use the street trading policy to help determine applications for street trading consent
Pedlar’s certificate
A pedlar’s certificate is issued by the police at a police station. It allows a person to sell goods (usually trinkets, household goods and other handmade objects), travelling on foot from door to door, place to place or town to town.
Trading at the market
Before applying for a street trading consent, you must first obtain permission from the market organiser to trade at the market. If your application for street trading consent is approved, you will be expected to follow both:
- rules of the market
- conditions attached to your street trading consent
Public Liability Insurance Requirement
As part of your application, you must provide documentation evidence of Public Liability Insurance (PLI) with a minimum cover of £10 million. This is an increase from the previous requirement of £5 million.
Please ensure your insurance documentation is included with your application.
Associated policies will be updated shortly to reflect this change.
Streamlined Process for One Off or Annual Events
A streamlined process for obtaining a one/two-day street trading consent for individual static traders and markets not exceeding 10 stalls has been introduced.
This new process helps to reduce costs and some of the administrative burden for small one off or annual events.
If a small annual event is authorised under this process and is successfully run, then it is likely that the same process will be applied the following year in relation to the renewal.
The streamlined process provides:
- 7- day consultation period.
- Removes the requirement for applications to be advertised in the newspaper or on site.
- Removes the need for a DBS certificate to be submitted for a one-off event.
- Requires consultation with responsible authorities only and not the public. This is because the duration of the event will not give rise to any long-term negative effects. Any complaint received resulting from trading will be dealt with appropriately. We will also consider the complaints against any further applications
Constraints
Applications without exception must be made a minimum of 8 days before the event. If this if not fulfilled your application will be rejected.
Please understand the new process does not allow applicants to circumvent the existing system. Officers retain the right to require the full process to be followed if they are not satisfied that it is appropriate for the reduced process to apply. The full process may also apply if there have previously been issues or concerns raised around a particular event.
All relevant documentation and the full fee must be paid at the time of making an application, for the process to apply. Due to the reduced time period for processing these applications there are no exceptions.
How to apply for a Street Trading Consent
To apply for a street trading consent, please contact us via email.
Please note that a fee is required at the time of application. This fee covers administration, inspection, and enforcement activities related to the consent process.