Street Collection Permit

Street Collection Permit

It is illegal in this country 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 the Council if that collection is to be held 'in a street or public place'. A 'public place' is a 'place where the public has access'.

It is often assumed that collections can be held in shop doorways or car parks do not need a Street Collection Licence because they are being held on 'privately owned land'. This is not true, as the legislation does not mention the ownership of the land or treat collections on 'privately owned land' as exempt from the licensing regulations. A shop doorway or carpark, when that shop is open for trading, is a 'public place' because the public has access at that time. No other licence would be valid. A Pedlars Licence, issued by the Police cannot be used for this purpose. Only Local Authorities issue Street Collection Licences under Section 5 of the Police, Factories, etc. (Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1916, as amended by the Local Government Act 1972 and Schedule 29 of that Act).

There is no cost for the issuing of consent but there are rules to be followed in applying. Street Collections are usually made by Charities. Collections usually take place in a town centre on busy shopping days. Money is collected in tins. There are regulations, which govern this type of collection. Consents are restricted to enable charities to raise money without their collections clashing with those of other charities. 

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 copy of the Police, Factories, etc. (Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1916) can be viewed at the Council Offices where you can also obtain an application form and a copy of our standard conditions. 

A return form must be completed following the collection and returned to the Council. This form will be sent to you once your application form has been received.

When returning the application, please attach the following items: -

(a) A leaflet about the Charity you are collecting for.

(b) A letter of authority from the Charity, which states that you have been authorised to do the Charity work.

Apply Online

You can now apply online, please use the following links:

Street Collection
Street Collection Returns

What is the process?

The authority requires a minimum of 14 days notice prior to the requested collection date.

How long does the process take?

The outcome of your application will be determined within 14 days

How much does it cost?

There is no charge for this process.

How long is it valid?

A permit is valid for one collection day.

Refusals

Please note there is a limit of 15 collection permits which may be granted for each area of the borough in any calendar year.

Licensing Register

The document 'Street Collection Register' attached to this page is a list of societies which have obtained permits to conduct Street Collections.

Date of Publication 27/01/2012