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Where Do I Get a Permit to Site My Catering Trailer?

by Mark williams
(Cwmbran)

Mobile catering trailer parked on a UK industrial estate pitch

Mobile catering trailer parked on a UK industrial estate pitch

Where do I obtain a permit to site my catering trailer, please help

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Jun 22, 2026
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by: MobCater

Hi Mark, this is one of those questions where the honest answer is "it depends on whose land you want to sit on", so let me walk you through it.

The first thing to understand is that there isn't a single permit that covers everything. What you need depends entirely on where you want to park the trailer. If you're going onto private land, say an industrial estate, a retail park, a pub car park or a farm gate, then the permission you need comes from whoever owns that land, not the council. You approach the landowner or the site manager directly, agree a pitch fee or a rent-free arrangement, and get it in writing. I always tell people to get that agreement on paper, because a verbal "yeah, park there" can disappear the moment someone changes their mind. When I started out I parked outside a lorry park on an industrial estate, and the permission came straight from the owner, not the town hall.

If instead you want to trade on a public road, a lay-by, a grass verge or any council-owned spot, that's when you need a street trading consent or licence from your local council. In your case that's Torfaen County Borough Council. They issue these under the street trading rules, and the cost varies a fair bit between councils, anywhere from around £50 to several hundred pounds a year depending on the area and the pitch.

There are two more things people forget. First, if you plan to sit on private land permanently or very regularly, the council's planning department may class it as a change of use and want a planning application, so it's worth a quick call to check. Second, wherever you trade, you must register as a food business with Environmental Health at least 28 days before you start, and that part is free. Most landowners and councils will also expect you to hold public liability insurance before they let you on.

My honest advice is to phone Torfaen's Environmental Health and licensing team first, tell them exactly where you're hoping to trade, and let them tell you which route applies. They deal with this every week and would far rather point you the right way than catch you out later.

All the best

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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