Street Trading Policy consultation 2024

Background

The council's Licensing Team are responsible for administering street licensing and enforcing street trading in the borough. Street trading is the selling, offering or exposing for sale of any item or service on our streets and public highways. This includes: stalls - including market stalls; shop-front displays, cafe tables and chairs used with the service; mobile traders and advertisement boards.

We currently issue a number of licences for street trading:

• Pavement Licence (Pursuant to the Business & Planning Act 2020 amended by the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023)
• Temporary Street Trading Licences
• Permanent Street Trading Licence
• Street Market
• Advertising Board Licence.

It is best practice to have policies for each different licensing regime in order to ensure consistency of approach. This ensures clarity for traders and other interested parties in both the application and enforcement processes.

What we are proposing

Our Street Trading Policy was last reviewed in 2021 and was not due to be revised until 2025, however due to the introduction of the Levelling up and Regeneration Act in 2023 and the changes that it has brought to Street Trading, the revision date has been brought forward.

As a result of the the new act we have revised our Street Trading Policy, which takes into account these changes in legislation and best practice and we would like your views on these updates.

Your views are important to us

We want to give everyone the opportunity to have their say and want to hear your views on our proposed revision of Barnet’s Street Trading Policy. We want to hear from residents, current licence holders, licensing agents and Solicitors, trade support organisations, and all other interested parties.

To find out more about the proposed changes please review our revised Street trading Policy document, all new updates are highlighted in yellow.

How to have your say

Complete our online questionnaire

We are keen to hear your views on our proposed updates and encourage you to have your say by completing our online questionnaire.

If you would like to request a paper questionnaire or another format, please:

• email licensingconsultation@barnet.gov.uk or telephone 020 8359 7443
• alternatively, you can write to us at: Licensing Team, Commercial Premises, London Borough of Barnet, 2 Bristol Avenue, Colindale, London, NW9 4EW.

If you would like someone to help you complete the questionnaire or need more information, please contact us using one of the above methods.

What happens after the consultation closes

The Licensing Team will include the consultation findings in a report that will be put before the Licensing & General Purposes Committee in November 2024. In November's meeting the Committee will decide upon any proposed amendments to the revised Policy and approve the final draft of the document. The approved Street Trading Policy will then finally be published on the council's website.