Street trading consents and licences
If you want to trade in particular streets in County Durham, including in a street market, you may need a street trading licence or consent from us.
There are three different classes of street/road:
- consent streets: where trading is allowed with a Street Trading Consent
- licensed streets: where trading is allowed with a Street Trading Licence
- prohibited streets: where trading is not allowed at all eg main roads, areas near shopping centres
Trading on our land
If you want to trade on any of our land (excluding roads and pavements), you will need to provide us with written permission from our Corporate Land and Property team. We can not approve the application without this. You can check if the land is ours and contact them on our Council owned land and buildings page.
If we do not own the land, you must get permission to use the land from the owner. A street trading consent or licence allows street trading activity - it does not give any land ownership or occupancy rights.
Where you can trade
Chester-le-Street area
You do not need to apply for a street trading consent/licence to trade in the Chester-le-Street area.
Derwentside area
Streets where you need consent from us
Any street not listed below.
Areas where trading is not allowed
These streets can only be used for trading if you have consent from us and only between 6.00am and 6.00pm on Sundays.
Consett
- Medomsley Road from the junction of Stanley Street to Sherburn Terrace
- Sherburn Terrace from the junction of Tyne Street to Front Street
- Station Road from the junction of Seymour Street to Medomsley Road
- Front Street
- Queen Street
- Middle Street
- Wesley Street
- Mason Street
- Raglan Street
- Victoria Street
- Victoria Road
- Newmarket Street
- Gibson Street
- John Street
- Church Street
- Nile Street
- Albert Road
- Taylor Street from the junction of Front Street to Seymour Street
- Knitsley Lane from the Junction of Front Street to Palmerston Street
- Nelson Street
Lanchester Village
- Front Street
Durham area
Streets where you need consent from us
Any street not listed below.
Streets where you need consent from us and only as part of an organised event
These following are designated as consent streets but please refer to Page 11, Section 9.0 General Presumptions. Contact us for more information.
Durham City centre including:
- Elvet Bridge
- Framwellgate Bridge
- Market Place
- Freemans Place
Areas where trading is not allowed
- Alnwick Road (part)
- Canterbury Road (part)
- Carrhouse Drive (part)
- Cheveley Park Shopping Centre
- Crossgate
- Durham Road, Esh Winning (part)
- Framwellgate Waterside (part)
- Front Street, Framwellgate Moor (part)
- Gort Place
- High Street North, Langley Moor (part)
- High Street South, Langley Moor (part)
- Milburngate Link Road
- Neville Street
- New Elvet
- North Road
- Old Elvet
- Owengate
- part of the A690 between Ramside and Rainton Gate
- part of the A167 between Oakmede and Burn Hall
- Pity Me (part of the northern bypass, part of A167, part of Potterhouse Lane and part of Front Street)
- Priory Road (part)
- Rothbury Road (part)
- Saddler Street
- Silver Street
- South Street (part)
Easington area
Streets where you need a licence from us
Crimdon
- Crimdon Park
Haswell
- The Cattle Market
Peterlee
- The Broad Close
- Surtees Road car park
- Yoden Way town centre
- The Chare
Wingate
- Constitutional Club car park
Seaham
- former garage site at South Terrace
Streets where you need consent from us
All other streets not listed below.
Areas where trading is not allowed
- Trunk road A19
- A1018
Blackhill
- Middle Street (A1086)
Crimdon
- Coast Road (A1086)
- Crimdon Terrace (A1086)
- Crimdon Park approach road
Easington Village
- Sunderland Road (B1432)
- Seaside Lane
- Rosemary Lane
- Hall Walk
- Low Row
- South Side
- Thorpe Road (B1432).
Easington Colliery
- Seaside Lane
- Station Road
Haswell
- Salters Lane (B1280)
- Front Street
- George Street
- Chapel Street
- North View
- North Road
Haswell Plough
- B1283
- Durham Lane
- Front Street
Horden
- Sunderland Road (A1086)
- Coast Road (A1086)
- Blackhills Road
- Northumberland Avenue
- Dene Street
- Third Street
- Cotsford Lane
- Alder Road
Murton
- Station Road (B1285)
- Church Lane (B1285)
- Murton Street (B1235)
- Barnes Road
- Park Lane
- Claude Terrace
- Knaresborough Road
- Woods Terrace
Peterlee
- Easington Way
- Upper Yoden Way
- Upper Chare
- Surtees Road
- Burnhope Way
- Passfield Way
- St Cuthberts Road
- Yoden Way (B1320)
- Bede Way
- Lowhills Road
- Stephenson Road
- York Road
- Acre Rigg Road
- Beverley Way
- Kirkland Hill
- Neville Road
- Howletch Lane
- Crawford Avenue
- Yoden Road
- Robson Avenue (part)
- Edenhill Road
- Kirkstone Avenue
- Chapel Hill Road (part)
- Pennine Drive
- Durham Way
- Oakerside Drive (excluding car park)
- Manor Way
- Fulwell Road
- Braken Hill Business Park
Seaham
- Burnhall Drive
- Stockton Road (B1285)
- West Grove
- Station Road
- The Avenue
- Adelaide Row
- Blandford Street
- Vane Terrace
- Church Street
- Castlereagh Road
- North and South Railway Street
- South Terrace
- South Crescent
- Seaham Link Road
- Princess Road
- Queen Alexandra Road
- Parkside Crescent - bus route only
Shotton
- Salters Lane (B1280)
- Potto Street
- Friar Street
- Station Road
- Front Street
- Bridge Road
- Carlyle Crescent
South Hetton
- A182
- Front Street
- Wingate Road
Wheatley Hill
- Church Street
- Front Street
- Alexander Terrace
- Granville Terrace
- Thornley Road (B1279)
- Wingate Lane (A181)
Sedgefield area
You do not need to apply for a street trading consent/licence to trade in the Sedgefield area.
Teesdale area
You do not need to apply for a street trading consent/licence to trade in the Sedgefield area, apart from the streets below in Bishop Auckland.
Streets where you need consent from us and only as part of an organised event
Consents will only be issued for trading at and during organised events that have been considered and supported by our Events safety information for organisers:
Bishop Auckland
- Marshall Street (part)
- Baliol Street
- King Street
- Flatts Road
- Scar Top
- Horsemarket and Market Place (including side road)
- The Bank
- Newgate
- Galgate (including side roads) from its junction with John Street and Montalbo Road to its junction with Horsemarket and Flatts Road
- Vere Road (from Flatts Road to Marwood Cottage)
- access road to Galgate car park
Wear Valley area
You do not need to apply for a street trading consent/licence to trade in the Wear Valley area, apart from the places listed below.
Licensed pitches
There are three licensed pitches:
- Collier Wood layby
- Westerton layby
- Crook Market Place
Vacant pitches will be advertised when they are available.
Streets where you need consent from us for organised events only
Bishop Auckland
- part of Newgate Street (north end) between the Market Place and the junction with Durham Chare.
- part of North Bondgate from the junction with North Bondgate car park (and including the car park) to the junction of Wear Chare
Streets where you need consent from us
Bishop Auckland
- Bishop Auckland Market Place
Areas where trading is not allowed
This includes all roads, footways or other areas next to the street for a distance of 50 metres, excluding streets that need consent.
Bishop Auckland
- Clayton Street
- Finkle Street
- Fore Bondgate
- George Street
- High Bondgate
- Newgate Street (part)
- North Bondgate (part)
- Saddler Street
Crook
- Commercial Street
- Church Street
- Elliott Street
- Hope Street
- New Road
- North Terrace
- Queen Street
- South Street
Laybys
- The layby next to our licensed layby at Collier Wood.
Who can apply
You must be over 17 years of age to hold a licence.
Licences will be refused if:
- there is not enough space in the street you wish to trade in without causing interference or inconvenience to street users
- you wish to trade for less days than any minimum required trading days
- you are unsuitable to hold a licence due to any previous convictions or for other reasons
- you have failed to pay fees for, or use, a previous street trading licence
Fees
Fees for a licence or consent
Street trader licence or consent (excluding designated market days) | Application fee | Charge upon grant | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
One day licence/consent (one day) | £22 | £8 | £30 |
One week licence/consent (two to seven days) | £48 | £46 | £94 |
One month licence/consent (eight days to a calendar month) | £106 | £59 | £165 |
One year licence/consent (annual licence/consent) | £235 | £285 | £520 |
Fees for a non-established market licence or consent
Non-established market licence or consent | Fee per day |
|---|---|
Up to 10 traders | £155 |
Between 11 and 30 traders | £155 |
Between 31 and 50 traders | £280 |
Between 51 and 70 traders | £295 |
Over 71 traders | £370 |
Changing a licence
If you want to change your existing street trading licence, you will be charged a £45 administration fee. We will keep this fee if your licence is refused.
Applying for or renewing a licence
If you do not renew your licence before it expires, you may not trade until you receive your new licence.
What we do with your application
If the form is fully completed, we will deal with it within 30 working days. We will:
- approve it
- approve it with changes (eg restrict days or items traded, state when in a street you can trade)
- refuse it
We reserve the right to refuse or change the conditions of a licence when it is renewed.
If you have not heard from us by the end of the target completion date, you have the legal right to act as though we have granted your licence. This is known as 'tacit consent'. We aim to acknowledge your application within five working days of receipt. Please contact us if you have not received acknowledgement within 10 working days.
What to do if we refuse your application
If we refuse your application, we will say why we have done so, and say what your rights are. Contact us if you have any issues.
Consumer complaint
If you have a complaint about a street trader we would always suggest that you discuss it with the trader concerned in the first instance. Where this has failed or is an inappropriate step, please either contact us or Citizens Advice Consumer Service. From outside the UK contact the UK European Consumer Centre.
- Contact Licensing
- licensing@durham.gov.uk
-
Our address is:
- Durham County Council
- PO Box 617
- Durham
- County Durham
- United Kingdom
- DH1 9HZ
