Designated site street trading

If you are looking to sell from a stall or vehicle either on the public footpath or highway (i.e a flower stall) on a permanent or semi-permanent basis, you will need to apply for this licence.

You will also need to apply for this licence if you intend to trade from a site or an area on private land that is within seven metres from any public land (i.e private car parks).

If you intend to trade along Richmond and Twickenham riversides and the borough’s parks, please get in touch with Parks department at parks@richmond.gov.uk to ask for possibilities.

Applying for a licence

You will need to:

• Download and complete the designated site street trading application form (pdf, 105 KB)
• Submit two passport size photographs, taken within the last twelve months, of the manager or owner of the premises/shop to be signed on the reverse by the applicant
• Provide a copy of your public liability insurance to the minimum value of £5,000,000 to cover the activity of street trading
• Pay the relevant fee
• For catering vans, restaurants and cafés only - If selling food, please supply a copy of your food registration or inspection report

If you do not trade as a limited company

• Provide one proof of identity (for example, full colour copy of a valid passport, driving licence photo card, national identity card)
• Provide one evidence of home address for example, a utility bill, a bank statement, a council tax bill (not older than three months and must be the same name as the proof of identity supplied)
• Proof of National Insurance number

 For Catering vans

• Gas and Electricity inspection report from registered engineers

Licenses will not be granted without all the documentation being provided.

Your vehicle, trolley, stand or stall must be suitably constructed so that it can be easily removable in the event of any emergency, for the maintenance of the footpath or road and always at the end of every day's trading.

Issue of licence

A licence to street trade as above may be either issued for 6 months (on a temporary basis), or up to 1 year. This would depend on the location and whether the street in which your business is situated is a designated street (see list below). Consultation with the highway's authority and in some cases Transport for London (if on a Red Route) and the police must take place before any licence may be issued.

If your location is not in a designated street, a temporary licence might be issued whilst the process of designation takes place. If at the location is not designated after the end of the licence period there is no appeal under the provisions of the London Local Authorities Act 1990 (as amended).

If intending to trade from private land you may trade without a licence, unless your site is within 7 metres of any public land. In this case you will need a designated site licence. Please check with the licensing team on the contact details below.

More information

• Street trading vacancies
• Designated streets list(pdf, 72KB)
• Street trading notes(pdf, 23KB)

Contact the Licensing Team

Please send all completed applications, supporting documents as detailed above and any queries to the following address:

Licensing
Regulatory Services Partnership
Merton Civic Centre
London Road
Morden
Surrey SM4 5DX

Email: licensing@merton.gov.uk