Street trading

Street trading means the selling, or exposing or offering for sale, of any article (including living things and vehicles) in a street. A street for the purposes of this definition includes any road, highway, footway, beach or other area to which the public have access without payment.

Street trading is controlled under provisions of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982. Due to complaints received from the public regarding the activities of some street traders both councils have adopted powers under the above act to regulate this activity.

There are three types of area in Adur and Worthing with street controls in place:

prohibited areas
consent areas
concession areas

Whilst traders are welcome to street trade in undesignated areas it is illegal to trade in the 'prohibited' areas. In addition without the relevant permit it is illegal to trade in the other areas listed above.

These prohibited and controlled areas are vigorously patrolled and breaches to the Local Government (Misc. Provisions) Act are enforced. Each offence is liable to a fine of up to £1,000 per incident.

Adur District

Prohibited streets: Adur District Council has prohibited street trading on all public highways within the district except for a few designated areas situated in the town centres of Lancing, Shoreham-by-Sea and Southwick. No street trading of any description, including the sale of motor vehicles, is allowed in these prohibited streets and the council under this act has no power to make exception.

Consent streets: Adur District Council allows street trading in the streets listed alphabetically below subject to the trader obtaining a permit to trade:

Lancing: Culver Road, Meadow Lane, North Farm Road, North Road, Penstone Park and South Street

Shoreham-by-Sea: Brunswick Road, Church Street, East Street, High Street, John Street, Middle Street, New Road, Old Shoreham Road, Pond Road, Ship Street, St Mary's Close, St Mary's Road, Tarmount Lane, West Street and Western Road

Southwick: Southdown Road, Southwick Square, Southwick Street and The Green

For permits to trade, or to have a promotional stand, in ADUR TOWN CENTRES: vendors must not be competing with local shops, not selling fast food, and not operating from a van or trailer. Any vendor must be adding colour to the town. Therefore, any fast food and/or ice cream vans will not receive a permit to trade, unless they are part of an organised event.

Permit fees: a list of all licensing and permit fees, including Adur District Council's street trading fees, can be found in the:

Adur & Worthing Council's Fees & Charges Booklet

Note: Plots are strictly limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

For information about street trading, promotional stands and seasonal concession areas in any of the Adur town centres see:

Concessions (below)

For more information about enforcement in ADUR: please contact:

licensing.unit@adur-worthing.gov.uk

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Worthing Borough

Prohibited Streets: no street trading of any description, including the sale of motor vehicles, is allowed in the streets listed alphabetically below and the council, under this act, has no power to make exception:

Ann Street, Anscombe Road, Ardsheal Road, Bedford Row, Bernard Road, Boulevard (north of Nelson Road), Brighton Road, Buckingham Road, Chapel Road, Chatsworth Road, Columbia Drive, Crescent Road, Cross Street, Dominion Road, Findon Road, George V Avenue, Goring Way, Graham Road, Ham Road, High Street, Liverpool Road, Liverpool Terrace, Marine Parade, Marine Place, Mulberry Lane, New Street, Offington Lane, Oxford Road, Prospect Place, Railway Approach, Rectory Road, Sompting Road, South Farm Road (north of Ardsheal Road), South Street Tarring, The Steyne, Teville Gate, Teville Place, Teville Road, Union Place, Victoria Road, Wallace Avenue, Warwick Street, West Buildings and West Parade.

Consent streets: The council allows street trading in the following streets in the town centre under licence:

Montague Street
Montague Place
South Street Square
Bath Place (approved markets only)
Portland Road (approved markets only)
South Street (approved markets and public events only)
Broadwater Street West (approved markets and public events only)

Montague Place, Worthing: Plans for the pedestrianisation of parts of Montague Place have just been approved. The works are planned to start shortly and as a result no applications are being currently accepted for street trading permits at this location.
See: Montague Gardens in Montague Place, Worthing

But it has a strict policy that vendors are not competing with local shops, not selling fast food, not operating from a van or trailer and are adding colour to the town. Fast food, coffee vans and ice cream vans clearly would not receive a licence to operate in the above consent streets.

Permit fees: A list of all licensing and permit fees, including Worthing Borough Council's street trading fees, can be found in the:

Adur & Worthing Fees & Charges Booklet

Plots are strictly limited.

In addition, Marine Crescent and Marine Drive are also designated consent streets. These roads situated on West Worthing seafront, next to the Greensward, allow for the licensing of ice cream vans and/or beverage vendors, but not fast food or the sale of motor vehicles. Application forms are available from the Licensing Unit. In the summer months this is a very congested area and the number of permits issued is strictly limited.

The fees for a permit to trade in these streets is:

Marine Crescent, Worthing - Annual = £390.00
Marine Drive, Worthing - Annual = £390.00

Prices from 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025. Prices are subject to an annual increase in April, prices correct as at 1st April 2024.

However, this area is extremely popular and currently oversubscribed. Applications to trade may be placed on a waiting list and should be prepared to wait for authorisation to trade. It should be noted that trading on the adjacent Greensward is not permitted.

Information regarding street trading permits for the Worthing area can be obtained from the Licensing Unit and the team can be contacted:

by phone on 01273 263331
or by email licensing.unit@adur-worthing.gov.uk

For information about seasonal concession areas see below.

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Concession areas in Adur and Worthing

Seasonal concession areas include:

Adur beaches in Shoreham and Southwick
Worthing beaches and promenade - from Amberley Drive / Marine Drive in Goring along to Western Road in East Worthing
Adur and Worthing parks and open spaces

These areas are owned by the councils and concessions are let to local businesses following approval by the Concessions Working Group Panel, which includes relevant officers of the councils.

Please note that concessions are subject to an application process twice a year, although some pitches may be available at other times.

Seasonal concessions are managed by the Place & Economy Team at Adur & Worthing Councils. For more details see: