Pavement trading
Trading from the pavement outside retail premises is illegal unless you own and maintain the land or have a license issued by us.
We can grant licences for this activity in certain streets but not all.
Check to see if you are on an authorised street
Do I need a pavement or street license to sell on the street?
A pavement licence allows a trader to extend their business from their premises onto the adjacent pavement using removable furniture, during opening hours, if there is space to do so safely.
If you have a private forecourt, clearly maintained by you, a licence may not be required to do this. Please check with us first.
However, the goods on sale outside must match the goods on sale inside the premises, the stall must be operated by the premises staff and no till can be placed outside.
If these conditions are not met, a Street Trading Licence would be required for any land within 7m of the Highway, regardless of who owns it.
All permanent structures require planning permission and will only be permitted on private forecourts not on the public Highway.
Fast track (BAPA Temporary Tables) licence - for cafes, restaurants, bars and ice cream parlours
The Business and Planning Act 2020 introduced a new fast track licence to allow you to have tables and chairs outside your food and drink business if you are a café, pub, restaurant or ice cream parlour until September 2024. This will be replaced by a new permanent scheme later this year.
Go to the Temporary Tables page for more information and to apply for this licence type.
Types of goods for sale
Consideration will be given to the proximity of traders and type of goods traded, to ensure that the amenities of the area are not compromised by excessive trading.
All licences are subject to our Pavement Trading Policy (PDF 40 KB).
Licences will not be issued for the following goods:
- new and used cars
- new and used motorcycles
- second hand gas and electrical appliances
- second hand clothes
- pets and livestock
- containers of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) including any which are part or fully discharged
- explosives including shop goods (fireworks)
- petroleum products including petroleum mixtures or solvents
Space for access
A minimum of 2m clearance must be maintained between the goods and the kerb or any street furniture. In areas of busy footfall, this would increase to 3m or 3.5m. In all cases, we cannot issue a licence for more than half of the available pavement. Your goods or furniture must not obstruct any access into adjoining properties.
All goods and furniture must be removed from the pavement when the premises is not trading.
Duration
All licences are normally annual and expire on 31 March each year, but you may also apply for a 6 months licence to cover the summer period.
The issue of a licence does not replace planning permission or allow the development of any permanent structure.
To make an application
Please ensure you read the guidance, information and linked documents before you complete the application form.
Download the pavement trading licence application STD04 (PDF 368KB) and post or email it to us to the address on the form or to licensing.authority@redbridge.gov.uk, with a copy of your Public Liability Insurance Certificate.
Once received, an officer will visit to confirm the space requested and to discuss any concerns/amendments to be made.
We will send details of the application to the police, highways and local councillors for comment and a list is published on our website for the public to comment. They have 28 days to respond.
If no concerns are raised, an invoice will be raised for the fee due and an approval letter issued. If there are concerns, we will discuss this with you to see if the application can be adjusted to fit before approval is given. If this is not possible, the application may be refused.
Licences will not be issued until approved and paid for. Do not place any goods or furniture on the Highway before the licence is issued or you may be fined.
We aim to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation at all times. To see how we handle personal information, please ensure that you have read our Privacy Notice.
Fees for Pavement sites (goods) outside shops
Fees are calculated on a weekly basis at £9.90 per square metre with a minimum fee per site, equivalent to 4 square metres, of £39.60. (From 1 April 2024)
- 26 weeks- £1,029.60
- 12 months - £2,059.20
The fee is calculated from the date the application is accepted not the date from which the licence is issued.
Payment
Do not enclose payment with your application, you will be sent an invoice within 14 days of the application receipt calculated for the number of weeks/months and space agreed. The licence can be issued if payment is made for the first three months, with direct debits set up for the remainder. Full payment information will be on the invoice.
Your new licence will not be issued until we receive confirmation of payment received and the application has been approved.
Closure of licence - by us
A licence is revoked (closed) when the premises changes hands, if payment is not made or if there are breaches in the conditions.
Closure of licence - by you
If your business ceases, or you decide that you no longer wish to use the outside space, you must inform us in writing or you will liable for all the fees due for the period on the licence. We will recalculate the invoice from the day we are told, or the day you cease trading, whichever is later.
Transfer of licence
These licences cannot be transferred to a new owner or new premises. If you move to a new premises you must begin a new application and it will need to go through the full 28 day consultation. If you are selling your business, the new owner must apply as a new application. If this is co-ordinated with your sale, we can try to ensure that there is no gap in cover between the old licence and the new, but we cannot guarantee this.
Renewal of licence
These licences must be applied for annually but premises that have had a licence before do not have to carry out the 28 day consultation if there are no increases to the space requested or change of owner. We remind all current licence holders in February each year, but it is the responsibility of the licence holder to apply in good time to avoid a gap in cover.
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