Street Trading Licence Costs: Council-by-Council Breakdown (2026)

Street trading licence fees vary enormously across the UK. There's no national fee schedule — each council sets its own prices. An operator trading across multiple councils might pay anything from a few hundred pounds to several thousand per year in licensing costs alone.

This guide compares real fees from councils across England, so you can estimate what you'll spend. All figures come directly from council websites and are current as of early 2026. Street trading licences are just one part of the full licensing stack — see our food truck licensing guide for the complete picture.

The Cost Range at a Glance

Council	Type	Annual Cost (Approx.)	Notes
Manchester	Licence (city centre)	£720/yr	Flat annual fee
Manchester	Consent (outside centre)	£420/yr	Flat annual fee
Greenwich (standard)	Consent	£4,524/yr	£87/week + £46 admin
Greenwich (premium)	Consent	£7,950/yr	£152/week + £46 admin
Merton (designated site)	Licence	£1,971/yr	Renewal fee
Merton (temporary)	Consent	£162–£403	1-7 day events
Westminster	Licence (markets)	£260 application + pitch fees	Varies by pitch and commodity. Hot food application: £260.

These figures show the range. A food truck operator paying £420/year for a Manchester consent could be paying 10-20 times that for a premium Greenwich pitch.

London Borough Fees

London boroughs consistently charge the most. Fees are higher because demand for trading pitches is higher, and the legislation (the London Local Authorities Act 1990) gives boroughs wide discretion over fee-setting.

Greenwich charges weekly rates:

• Premium areas (Greenwich town centre, Woolwich, Eltham, Charlton Athletic FC area): £152/week
• Standard areas: £87/week
• Plus a £46 administrative fee on acceptance

At £87/week, a full-year consent costs roughly £4,524 plus admin. Premium pitches: roughly £7,950/year.

Westminster uses a more complex structure with separate application fees and pitch fees. Application fees range from £96 (non-food items) to £260 (hot takeaway food). Pitch fees are billed every 4 weeks and vary by location — central pitches near Oxford Street and Leicester Square cost significantly more than peripheral locations. Start-up businesses get a 50% discount on application fees.

Merton charges annual licence fees based on stall size for shopfront licences (£241–£2,308) and flat rates for designated sites. New designated site licences cost £1,203, with annual renewals at £1,971. Temporary licences range from £162 (1-2 days) to £403 (7 days).

Major City Fees Outside London

Manchester has one of the more transparent fee structures:

• Street trader licence (city centre / Inner Ring Road): £720/year
• Street trader consent (rest of Manchester): £420/year

Both are flat annual fees valid for 12 months from issue.

Birmingham operates a consent-based system with an annual application window (typically opening in February for the following April-March period). Fees are invoiced quarterly in advance. Contact Birmingham's street trading team for current rates, as they update annually.

Smaller Councils

District and unitary councils outside major cities typically charge less — often in the £100–£500/year range for annual licences. Some examples:

• Daily or weekly consent fees can be as low as £10–£25/day
• Annual licences in rural districts may cost £100–£300
• Market stall fees in smaller towns: £10–£30/day

Check fees directly with each council, as they update annually and aren't always published prominently online.

Hidden Costs to Factor In

The licence fee itself is only part of the picture. Budget for these too:

Application fees (non-refundable): Some councils charge a separate application fee that you pay whether or not your application is granted. Westminster charges £260 for hot food applications; Merton charges £233 for new licence applications.

Renewal vs new application fees: Renewal fees are sometimes lower than initial application fees, but not always. At Merton, a new designated site licence costs £1,203 but annual renewal costs £1,971 — the renewal is actually higher.

Variation fees: Changing your trading days, hours, location, or goods usually requires a formal variation, which costs extra (£60–£151 in the councils above).

Multiple councils: If you trade in 3-4 council areas, multiply the base licence cost by the number of councils. An operator with Manchester (£720), plus two London boroughs at mid-range fees, could easily spend £5,000–£10,000/year on street trading licences alone.

How to Estimate Your Total Licensing Costs

1. List every council area where you trade or plan to trade
2. Check each council's fee schedule — search "[council name] street trading fees" or use the GOV.UK licence finder
3. Note whether fees are annual, weekly, or daily — weekly fees look small but add up fast
4. Add application and variation fees on top of the base licence cost
5. Set aside 10-15% for unexpected costs — fee increases, additional council requirements, or new trading areas

When Fees Change

Most councils review fees annually, typically in April (aligned with the financial year). Fee increases are common — councils use licensing fees to cover the administrative cost of the scheme, and those costs rise.

If you're planning ahead, check whether the council has published upcoming fee changes. Some do; most don't announce increases until they take effect.

Track Your Licence Costs Across Councils

Managing fees across multiple councils — different amounts, different payment dates, different renewal cycles — is one of the most time-consuming parts of running a multi-area food truck operation. Use our free licence cost calculator to estimate your total licensing costs across multiple councils. Ready to apply? Our step-by-step application guide covers the full process. StreetComply is building a full dashboard to track all your licences, fees, and renewal dates in one place — join the waitlist to be the first to try it.

Sources

• Merton Council — Street Trading Licence Fees 2025/26
• Royal Borough of Greenwich — Street Trading Costs
• Manchester City Council — Street Trader Licence and Consent
• Westminster City Council — Street Trading Application Fees (Markets)
• Birmingham City Council — Street Trading Fees
• London Local Authorities Act 1990