If you want to trade on the street in the city centre you may need consent from us.
Where you can trade
A number of suitable trading sites in the city centre have been assigned:
- top of Fargate
- bottom of Fargate
- Howard Street
- Devonshire Green
- Barkers Pool
- Tudor Square
You should contact us to find out if any of these sites have been taken by other traders.
We operate platinum, gold, silver or bronze trading zones in the city centre.
What you can trade
There is no constraint on the type of goods sold, however, we would like to encourage more traditional goods.
What unit you can use
Motorised vehicles or stalls are not permitted as part of the city centre scheme and we encourage barrows or handcarts to be used.
All barrows or handcarts must be capable of being moved on and off site by hand and any vehicles used to bring them to the site must be parked, loaded and unloaded off site.
You should not purchase any trading unit prior to an application being approved.
Who can apply for a street trading consent in the city centre
Applicants must be at least 17 years old.
You need to make sure that any assistants you have working on your pitch are wearing badges issued by us. If they do not have badges they will not be allowed to trade.
Costs
The fees for all of the approved sites that are part of the city centre scheme are currently set at £498.50 per quarter (or £1,994 per annum) to trade 7 days a week between 7am and 7pm.
You will need to pay a £100 fee before applying. This covers the costs of processing your application (if your consent is granted this will be deducted from the £1,994).
Your stall needs to meet our requirements
You need to follow our street stall trading criteria in order for us to grant you consent.
What you need to provide with your application
You will need to send us:
- a completed application form and privacy statement
- fee of £100
- 3 photographs of the unit to be used showing front, back and side
- details of the proposed site, including an ordnance survey based map of at least 1:1250 scale (a google map will not be sufficient) clearly identifying the proposed trading position and its proximity to other similar retail outlets (shops, café’s, etc) within an 800 metre radius
- two (recent and identical) passport size photographs signed and dated on the reverse
- current passport
- current drivers licence
- one other proof of identity, showing your name and current address (recent utility bill, bank statement etc)
- right to work documentation (if applicable)
- details of any food hygiene qualifications (unless trading in non-food items)
- if trading in food, confirmation that the business has a food hygiene rating of 3 or more
- any further information you may wish to submit in support of your application
The following documents must be forwarded to us before we grant a consent:
- a certificate of public liability insurance (the level of cover shall be a minimum of £2,000,000)
- written confirmation that the vehicle meets our food safety standards
- waste management contract
- declare that you have registered as a food business (if applicable) and pay the remaining quarterly fee if agreed to pay in quarterly instalments
What happens once you have made an application
Once we receive your application, we will consult with relevant parties for 28 days. We may place public notices around your proposed site for the public to make any comments.
All applications for street trading in the city centre will be referred to our licensing committee for their consideration. You and any objectors will be notified of the meeting and will be invited to attend.
They will evaluate whether your trading unit proposal fits in with the city centre qualitative criteria. If your proposal does not meet this criteria, it is unlikely a site will be offered.
You must provide as much information as possible about your proposal, including photographs of the proposed barrow or cart, designs, lettering, colours, uniforms etc as part of your initial application and presentation to the committee.
If you are granted a consent you will be asked to sign and return the consent conditions confirming you have understood and will comply with them along with any other documentation and the remaining fee. You will then be issued with a consent and a certificate along with a copy of the conditions.
Tacit consent will not apply
It is in the public interest that we process your application before it can be granted. If you have not heard from us within 28 days you should contact us.
Short term consents
If you want a static street trading consent for a short period of time you can apply for a short term consent for either a day, week, or month. You can apply for this using the standard application form and indicating that you are applying for short term consent.
When you apply, you must ensure that you submit all appropriate documentation and pay the relevant fee. You should include your payment reference number on your application form.
Pay for a short term consent application
Apply for a city centre street trading consent
Before you apply you should pay the application fee online and include your payment reference number with your application.
You can then download and complete the application form and privacy statement and send it and any relevant documents to:
Licensing Service
Block C, Staniforth Road Depot
Staniforth Road
Sheffield
S9 3HD
You can apply online but we would recommend applying by post instead. If you apply online you may be asked to provide further information or documentation before we can start processing your application which may delay it.
Order a replacement consent certificate
You can replace your consent certificate if it has been lost. This costs £22 and you should pay online then write to us asking for a replacement certificate and include your payment reference number.
How to make an appeal or a complaint
There is no appeal procedure against the refusal or revocation of any consent. You can apply for judicial review of our decision.
Members of the public who are experiencing problems with traders should contact us for advice.
