Street trading

What you need to know

You do not need to apply for a licence to be an itinerant ice cream trader, although some conditions apply:

• you do not need a licence to trade in locations that are not listed amongst the prohibited streets
• to be classed as an itinerant trader you must travel from place to place remaining in any one location in the course of trading for periods of 15 minutes or less and not returning to the same location or any other location in the same street on the same day
• trading in prohibited streets is not allowed
• any van trading in the restricted areas will be committing an offence regardless of the amount of time that for which they are trading 
• traders convicted of unlicensed street trading face a daily fine up to £1,000
• people trading from the traditional stop me and buy one tricycle are also subject to same conditions
• if you leave your motor vehicle parked and travel on foot to sell products, you still infringe the regulations
• you are allowed to deliver house to house or take order by phone or internet providing that transactions are made on the householder's property or internet
• you will be required to apply for a street trading licence if you intend or trade on private property within 7 metres of the public highway

Prohibition of itinerant ice cream trading

We have passed a resolution under Section 37(2) London Local Authorities Act 1990 (as amended), prohibiting itinerant ice cream trading in the following areas within Hillingdon:

• Any street, or part of streets or side streets within 65 metres of any exit used by children from the following premises:
  • primary schools
  • under five centres
  • day nurseries
  • secondary schools
  • special schools
• Any street or side street falling within  Uxbridge town centre (PDF) [1MB] outlined in red.

All streets, part of streets and side streets falling within major retails areas in:

• Eastcote
• Harefield
• Harlington
• Hayes
• Hillingdon Circus area
• Ickenham
• Northwood
• Northwood Hills
• Ruislip
• Ruislip Manor
• South Ruislip
• Uxbridge
• Uxbridge Road, Hayes
• Yiewsley and West Drayton 

For more information,  read the resolution (PDF) [198KB].

If you require any more information, email us at licensing@hillingdon.gov.uk