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Can I Put a Burger Van on Common Land or Do I Need a Street Trading Licence?

by Kelly
(Wales )

Red converted burger van with an open serving hatch parked beside a grassy UK common

Red converted burger van with an open serving hatch parked beside a grassy UK common

Hi please can someone tell me if I can put a burger van on common land or do I need to go through the council and pay them the £110 per month street trading licence, haven't started trading anywhere yet
Thank you

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Sep 01, 2026
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by: MobCater

Kelly, this is one of those questions where the word common trips people up, because common land almost always belongs to someone. It might be owned by a lord of the manor, the local council, the National Trust or a conservation body, and it usually carries rights of common that belong to specific local people. So the first thing to understand is that common does not mean free for anyone to use. You cannot just pull a burger van onto it and start serving.

Your starting point is the landowner, not the council. You need to find out who actually owns or manages that piece of common land and get their written permission to trade there. Your council keeps a register of common land, so a quick call to them will tell you who to approach. There is also a catch that trips a lot of people up: it is generally an offence to drive a motor vehicle onto common land without lawful authority, so even getting the van into position needs the owner's say so.

Then comes the licensing side, and this is where your £110 figure fits in. A street trading licence or consent covers trading in a street or a place the public can get to, and each council in England and Wales reads that slightly differently under the 1982 rules. Some will treat a well used common as needing consent, others will not. The only way to know for certain is to ring your council's licensing team, describe exactly where you want to trade, and get their answer in writing. Any fee they charge is separate from anything the landowner asks for.

Whatever you decide, you will also need to register as a food business with the council at least 28 days before you trade, and if your van runs on propane you will need a current gas safety certificate in place.

Good luck with it

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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