You need permission to collect money or sell items on the street in aid of a charity. You also need permission to go from door to door to collect money or property or sell things in aid of a charity. Direct Debit fundraising is not licensed but it is controlled by means of a voluntary agreement between the Council and collectors. Follow the links below for more information.
Street CollectionsHouse to House CollectionsDirect Debit Fundraising
Street trading is the selling of goods or food in any "street". The term 'street' includes any road, footway or other area to which the public have access without payment (this can include private land). Typical examples of street trading that goes on in the area include selling hot food from vans parked in lay-bys or on industrial estates and selling ice cream from a mobile van.
We recognise that street trading can provide a useful service to people who live in or visit the City. Before you can trade in the street in our area you must get a street trading licence issued by us. If a person trades without a licence then they are committing an offence and can be fined up to £1,000.
We have adopted a policy on street trading, which gives guidance to applicants, officers and councillors on the principles that we will apply when deciding whether or not to grant a street trading licence to somebody.
The completed application form and required supporting documents should be sent to:
Worcester City Council Licensing, Worcestershire Regulatory Services, Wyre Forest House, Kidderminster, Worcestershire, DY11 7WF
You can download an application form from the links below. Pick the form that applies to how you want to trade:
The current fee to apply for street trading licences can be found on our licensing fees and charges page.
No. It is in the public interest that we must process your application before it can be granted. If you have not heard from us within a reasonable period, please get in touch.
New applications for street trading licences are subject to a consultation period during which any interested parties may make representations about the application to the Council.
Licence applications that are currently in consultation and information on how to make a representation are on the Worcestershire Regulatory Services website:
The Council has adopted a new Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy which is effective from 1 September 2022.
The Council's Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy explains how the Council will deal with the licensing of hackney carriages, private hire vehicles, drivers, and private hire vehicle operators. The Policy includes information on how to apply for a licence and explains how the Council will make sure vehicles are safe and fit for use and that drivers and operators are suitable people to undertake these roles.
Download a copy of the new policy
Hackney carriages, private hire vehicles, drivers, and their booking offices must all be licensed separately.
Driver LicensingVehicle LicensingOperator Licensing
Having a personal licence allows you to supply alcohol or authorise the supply of alcohol from any licensed premise. You must have a personal licence if you want to act as the designated premises supervisor (DPS) at any premises licensed to sell alcohol.
Once granted, a personal licence remains in force indefinitely (if you are already a personal licence holder and your licence has an expiry date, the date is no longer valid and your licence will remain in force after it has passed).
To apply for a personal licence, you will need to submit the following items to the licensing authority for the area where you live:
Completed "Application for a Personal Licence" form.
Personal Licence Application Form
Completed "Disclosure of Convictions and Declaration" form.
Disclosure of Convictions and Declaration Form
Two passport sized photographs of you, one of which should be endorsed as being a true likeness of you by a solicitor, notary, a person of standing in the community or any individual with a professional qualification.
Photograph Declaration Form for new Personal Licence applicants
You will need to be the holder of an accredited Licensing Qualification
To find the latest list of accredited qualifications visit this GOV.UK website
You will need to provide one of the following, which must have been issued no earlier than one month before the application is made:-
You will also need to submit the fee of £37 (cheques made payable to Wychavon District Council)
From 6th April 2017 applicants for personal licences have to submit documentation with their application to demonstrate they have permission to be in the UK and are entitled to undertake work relating to the carrying on of a licensable activity. Applicants may provide clear photocopies or scanned copies of documents, which can either be in black and white or colour, and do not need to be endorsed as a copy of the original. Applicants should not submit original documents.
A list of acceptable documents is here:
List of acceptable documents to show entitlement to work
You will need to submit all this items when applying for a personal licence or your application cannot be accepted.
Applications should be submitted to:
Licensing, Wychavon District Council, The Civic Centre, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Pershore, Worcestershire, WR10 1PT
This authority is under a duty to protect the public funds it administers, and to this end may use the information you provide on application forms for the prevention and detection of fraud. It may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes.
Once you are a personal licence holder, there are certain responsibilities and duties that you must comply with. A summary of these responsibilities can be downloaded here:
Personal Licence Holder Responsibilities
One of the most important duties is the duty to tell us if your name or address changes. A form which can be used to notify us of such a change can be downloaded here: