New street trading policy consultation

This consultation is now closed

Start date: 14 May 2018

Closing date: 1 June 2018

Areas Affected

  • Lichfield District wide

Read our proposed new street trading policy and give your views between 14 May and 1 June 2018.

Lichfield District Council’s original street trading policy was published in April 2016. After implementing the policy, we have updated it to reflect feedback and experiences by ourselves and traders since the original policy was published.

The new street trading policy provides basic rules which will be used as the regulatory framework for street trading. It will inform special event applicants and organisers how we make decisions, and give prospective traders an early indication as to whether their application is likely to be granted or not.

It also provides prospective applicants with details of what is expected of them, including the use of generators, hours of trading, roaming fees, costs and more.

On page 12 of the new proposed policy states: “In certain circumstances, the street trading event fees may be waived or subsidised to support the council’s strategic objective of creating a vibrant and prosperous economy.” 

To be considered for a subsidy an organiser needs to meet criteria such as, the funding is needed to enable the event to be viable and must bring wider economic benefits to the district. In 2016 the council approved a budget of £12,000 to fund the subsidy, which initially covered all the costs of this element of the service. This funding was based on the number of traders at events in the city the previous year multiplied by the cost of issuing consents and ensuring compliance.

Since this time the number of events and associated traders has grown four fold and the council is not in a position to increase the amount of funding available.

The council is therefore also consulting on a new proposal for funding the subsidy of street trading fees.

It is proposed to maintain the subsidy at £12,000 per year. This figure will then be divided by the estimated number of traders for the forthcoming year and that amount deducted from the fee level set each year by the council which is calculated to recover costs of providing the service.

For example, in the forthcoming year it is estimated that there will be 1,000 consents issued. The current fee levels are £33 for the first day and £13 for each day after. Based on this estimate a subsidy of £12 will be applied to each special event street trading consent.

If a consent is granted for a trader for one day they would be charged £33 minus £12 = £21.

If a consent is granted for a trader for three days they would be charged £59 minus £12 = £38.

We invite your comments or alternative suggestions in relation to this proposal as well as the draft policy.

Please read the policy and send any comments by email to street-trading@lichfielddc.gov.uk or in writing to James Rudman, District Council House, Frog Lane, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 6ZE by Friday 1 June 2018.