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Buying, selling and collecting licences

House to house

Our licensing service is delivered by Peterborough City Council.

A permit is required to undertake a 'house to house' collection, under the House to House Collections Act 1939.

Whereas street collection permits are normally issued to cover a period of one or two days, a house to house collection permit can be granted for any period up to one year.

Vetting and checking to find out if the organisation applying is genuine or not is the same as for street collections.

As with street collection permits there is a requirement for the promoter of the collection to make a return following the collection.

Collections generally take place from door to door or from one public house to another.

Some of the larger well-known charities such as Christian Aid or Help the Aged, for example, have a Charity Commission exemption from having to apply for a permit, but by and large most of the smaller, and particularly local groups and organisations need a permit before they can collect money (or articles which they intend to sell later), from door to door.

Unlike street collections, there is a statutory right of appeal against the refusal to grant a house to house collection permit. In this case, the right of appeal is to the Secretary of State, and the grounds for refusal are set out in the Act itself.

One of the key grounds for refusal would be where the total amount likely to be applied for charitable purpose as a result of the collection, is inadequate in proportion to the value of the proceeds likely to be received i.e. where an applicant intends to claim a fair proportion of the proceeds of the collection for expenses, a permit could be refused. There is no statutory guidance to local authorities on what would be a reasonable amount for expenses.

Download the House to House Application Form

Please email the completed application form to rcclicensing@peterborough.gov.uk

The promoter of the collection must send a form of statement within three months of the date of the collection.

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