Cornwall Council says rules on street trading are changing from July 1 to control trading and prevent nuisance and anti-social behaviour.

All streets will become  so-called ’consent streets’ which means that, apart from certain exceptions, no one will be able to sell anything on the street (which  includes any road, footway or other area to which the public have access) without Cornwall Council’s permission.

Street trading has been reviewed as the former District and Borough Councils had different rules in place and many of these are out of date and some do not comply with the European Union Services Directive. 

The new system is designed to provide a level playing field for all traders who require consent.

The changes will also affect car sales on the roadside and grass verges – the council says these can often be a road safety hazard and will therefore now be regulated through the new street trading controls .  

There are some legal exemptions from the new policy which means that authorised pedlars; markets and fairs permitted by charter or legislation; news vendors; sales from petrol filling stations; sales from a shop or street outside a shop when used as part of the business of the shop, roundsmen (defined as one who visits a ‘round’ of customers taking and delivering the orders of those customers) and charity collections authorised by the council will still be able to trade.

The Government’s regulations also state that pedlars, who hold a current pedlars certificate, will also not require a consent, however they must remain ’on the move’ and not stay located in any particular place.

Some arrangements can still go ahead without the need for a license:

Fetes, carnivals or similar community-based, organised and operated events.

Car boot sales on private property.

Goods from working farms sold within the area of the farm where they were produced.

Sales of articles outside a homeowners property but still within the boundary of the property, for example honesty boxes.

Markets/events which have been approved by, for example, Cornwall Council, Town or Parish Council. 

Buskers who, when performing, also sell recordings of their own performances.

Trading on beaches (subject to permission from the beach owner).

Private land (subject to permission from land owner) which is more than 5 metres from the public highway.

Anybody affected can email [email protected] for more information