To collect money or sell articles for the benefit of charitable or other purposes in England or Wales, you require a street collection permit.
There is no fee payable for a street collection permit.
Alternatively you can download and complete the application form and send it back to us using the contact details on this page:
Before completing your application, your attention is drawn to our privacy and data retention policy.
When the collection has ended you will need to complete a form of statement relating to street collections:
Form of statement relating to street collection
You could be fined £200 if you collect money for charity without a licence.
Tacit consent does not apply to this type of application, as it is in the public interest that East Cambridgeshire District Council must process your application before it can be authorised. If you have not received a response to your application within a reasonable period, please contact us.
The Licensing Department, East Cambridgeshire District Council, The Grange, Nutholt Lane, Ely, Cambs, CB7 4EE.
Telephone: 01353 665555
If you are an applicant or a third party, you should always contact us in the first instance if you have any queries, concerns or cause for complaint preferably in the form of a letter with proof of delivery. If you are not satisfied with the outcome and are located in the UK, Citizens Advice Consumer Service will give you advice. If you are from outside the UK, please contact the UK European Consumer Centre.
East Cambridgeshire District Council, as the Licensing Authority, is empowered under Section 5 of the police, factories, etc (Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1916), as amended by the Local Government Act 1972, to licence collections made in ‘any street or public place’ for ‘charitable or other purposes’.
Although there is no legal requirement for the council to adopt a policy on how it proposes to deal with charitable collections in the East Cambridgeshire district, members of the council’s Licensing Committee consider it best practice adopting such a policy to ensure consistency and transparency. On 20 June 2018 the Licensing Committee approved the current Street Collection Licensing Policy, which can be found below. Applicants are urged to read through this important document prior to submitting an application.