Frequently Asked Questions

The following are frequently asked questions about the Free Literature Consent Scheme which applies to Sheffield city centre. Please note the information below is also available to download as a word document at the bottom of the page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can apply for as many badges as you need, but each badge will have to be paid for.

For example: one badge applied for costs £75 per annum

5 badges applied for costs £75 + £100 + £150 + £175 + £175 = £675

 

Consents are issued to a named consent holder who will be responsible for issuing the badges to their distribution staff.  As a consent holder you must ensure that you have enough consents to cover the people that you have distributing free literature at any one time. 

 

For example: An organisation may have 20 people available to distribute free literature but may only choose to use a maximum of 5 people at any one time.  In this case the fee would be £675 per annum (as detailed above).

 

Once you have received consent you can distribute free literature within the city centre boundary as shown on the map attached at the bottom of this page.

 

The consent badge contains the name of the consent holder, organisation name and telephone number, an issue number and expiry date.  Consent badges must be available for inspection at all times when literature is being distributed.

 

Consents last for a period of 12 months from the date of issue, or in the case of monthly consent for 30 days. Badges need to be returned when applying for a new consent period.

 

Payment to be made by cheque to Sheffield City Council returned with your completed application form.

 

City Centre Management, 2 Floor Yorkshire House, 66 Leopold Street, Sheffield S1 3RT.  Please note that personal callers will only be seen by prior appointment please tel 0114 2736895.

 

Applications for consent usually take up to 7 days to process.

 

Consents can be used by more than one person provided that they are not working at the same time.

 

A replacement charge of £50 is made for consent badges which are lost or stolen. 

 

There are exemptions under the scheme for free literature which is distributed by or on behalf of a charity (within the meaning of the Charities Act 1993) or where the distribution is for a political purpose or purpose of a religion or belief.  The distribution of free literature through a letter box or vehicle is also excluded from the scheme. 

 

Any person who distributes free printed matter without a Consent from the Council may be committing an offence and could be liable on conviction in a Magistrates’ Court to a fine up to £2,500. An offence is committed if someone causes another person to distribute free printed matter in a designated area without consent. The person commissioning the actual distributor therefore also commits an offence. Authorised Enforcement officers may offer the person distributing the literature the opportunity to discharge the liability to conviction for the offence by paying a Fixed Penalty Notice of £75.