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Can I Get Permission to Trade a Catering Trailer in a Council Car Park?

by Clive
(Salcombe Devon)

Cream box catering trailer parked in a UK council car park

Cream box catering trailer parked in a UK council car park

Is it possible to get permission to park a catering trailer in a council car park??

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Aug 06, 2026
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by: MobCater

It is possible, Clive, and a council car park can be one of the steadier pitches you will find, but you go about it through the council itself rather than just turning up and parking.

The first thing to understand is that a council car park is council land, so parking enforcement is not the department you want. You need to speak to the estates or property team, and usually the licensing team as well, because most councils still apply their street trading rules to their own car parks. In practice that means you are likely to need street trading consent or a licence for the exact bay you want to trade from, alongside a separate permission or short lease from whoever manages the car park. Some councils run these as a formal tender or concession, where they invite caterers to bid for a pitch, so it pays to ask early and get your name on their list.

On top of the council side, you will need the usual groundwork in place before they will take you seriously. That means registering as a food business with the council at least 28 days before you start, having public liability insurance, and holding a current gas safety certificate for your trailer if it runs on propane. When I applied for pitches, turning up with photographs of the unit, my certificates and a clear menu made the difference between being taken seriously and being brushed off.

A quick word on cost, because it varies enormously. I have seen council trading fees run from a few hundred pounds a year in smaller towns to well over a thousand in the busy spots, and a tourist area like Salcombe will sit at the higher end because the footfall is worth it. Go and watch the car park at different times before you commit, so you know the pitch actually earns its keep in the quieter months as well as the summer rush.

Hope that helps

David

Disclaimer: This is general advice for UK mobile catering. Licensing rules vary between councils, so always check with your local authority before you start trading.

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