Charitable collection licensing policy

Overview

District councils and unitary authorities are responsible for granting permits to allow cash collections in the street and licences for house to house collections of cash and other items. This does not include the collection of bank account details. 

Councils can make regulations which control when, where and how cash collections in the street are made for reasons such as preventing public nuisance and ensuring the proper use of donations.

The Licensing service of Somerset Council is seeking to create a ‘charitable collection’ policy and standardise the way collections are regulated in Somerset, replacing the different arrangements and regulations inherited from the four former district councils. The new approach will reduce bureaucracy and simplify internal procedures, helping the Council to minimise the cost of this licensing regime. Changes from existing arrangements which are proposed in the policy include:

• The Council will only grant permits and licences to street and house to house collections being carried out by or on behalf of registered charities.
• Street collections may take place on any given day of the week, 365 days a year.
• There will be no restriction on the number of street collections carried out in any one place on a given day.
• Removing the need for the proceeds of street collections to be published in a local newspaper.

You can view the draft policy here.

Why your views matter

We’re carrying out a consultation on this proposal, to seek the views of the public and stakeholders before we write the final draft of our policy.