Can I Park My Catering Trailer on a Public Road in the UK?

by paresh
(London)

White mobile catering trailer parked in a secure private industrial yard

White mobile catering trailer parked in a secure private industrial yard

I’ve just lost my pitch and now need to store my trailer, is it against the law to park my trailer on the main road, the road in question has no parking restrictions and is not near any houses

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May 20, 2026
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by: MobCater

Losing a pitch is stressful on its own, and then you've got the headache of where to keep the trailer, so I understand exactly why you're asking, paresh.

The short version is there's no single law that bans you from leaving a trailer on a public road, but a few rules can still catch you out, and using the road as long term storage is rarely worth the risk. Even on a road with no parking restrictions, you can still fall foul of the obstruction rules. Under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 you mustn't cause an unnecessary obstruction, and under the Highways Act a trailer left on the road without lawful authority can be treated as a nuisance. If a resident or business complains, the council can tell you to move it, and if they decide it's a hazard they can remove it themselves and bill you for the cost. The test they apply looks at how long it has been there, where it is sitting and why. A trailer left for an hour is a world away from one parked week after week, and what you're describing is storage, which is the version councils look at hardest.

There's also a lighting rule that trips people up. A trailer left on a road at night has to be lit, with the kerb side in, so you'd be running lights or risking a ticket every single night it sits there.

The bigger worry for me though isn't the paperwork, it's your livelihood sitting out in the open. A catering trailer on a public road is an easy target for theft and vandalism, and a lot of insurers won't cover theft from the street overnight, so if it disappears you could be left with nothing. That alone is reason enough to get it off the road.

What I'd actually do is ring round for secure yard space. Farms, industrial units, haulage yards and self storage sites will often rent you a corner for very little, and plenty of caterers I know keep their trailers exactly this way. It costs a bit each month, but it is far cheaper than replacing a stolen trailer or paying a council removal fee, and a secure base usually keeps your insurance simpler and cheaper too.

Best of luck

David

Disclaimer: Parking and highway rules can vary between councils, and your local authority and the police have the final say on what counts as an obstruction or nuisance. Always check locally before leaving a trailer on a road.

Try the free MobCater App, our startup checklist and guide walks you through every step: https://www.mobcater.co.uk/mobile-catering.html

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