Licence summary
To collect money or sell articles in any public place within the Borough of Basingstoke and Deane for the benefit of charitable or other purposes, you must obtain a street collection permit. The permit is free of charge but is a legal requirement. It is an offence for any person to collect money or sell articles without the benefit of a permit and/or to breach the adopted regulations.
Regulation Summary
A summary of the regulation relating to this licence
Application Evaluation Process
A completed application should be submitted to the Licensing Team, no later than 28 days before the date of the proposed collection, together with a copy of the letter of authorisation from the premises where the collection is to take place.
The number of charity collections permitted in the area known as ‘The Top of Town’ which includes Winchester Street, London Street, Market Place, Wote Street and Church Street is restricted and collections will not be granted on a Wednesday or Saturday when the market is held. Basingstoke and Deane operate a voluntary code of conduct for Direct Debit Collections in the 'Top of Town' area which is available to download below.
Please be aware applications received for the ‘Top of Town Area’ prior to the above date or on assigned market days will not be considered. Please contact the Licensing Team if you wish to discuss proposed dates for your charity collection prior to making your application.
On receipt of an application the licensing team may request further information to ensure the organisation is legitimate before a permit is granted. Charity collection permits are issued subject to compliance with the Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Street collection regulations. Any person who acts in contravention of the Regulations shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding fifty pounds.
Financial Returns Statement
After the collection, collecting tins should be opened in the presence of a promoter and a witness, or, if unopened, delivered to a bank to be opened and counted by an official. When opened, the contents of each tin should be entered on a list and certified by those present.
A financial statement must be made to the Council showing the total amount of monies collected, amounts from each tin and a list of collectors.
If more than £400 was collected, a notice must be published in a local paper giving details of the collection i.e. date and location, charity to benefit, amount collected;
At least 85% of collected funds must be donated to the named charity - a maximum of 15% can go towards expenses.
You can inform us of the result of your charity collection via the below link or alternatively download the financial return statement at the bottom of the page and return to the Licensing Team at the below address.
Will Tacit Consent Apply?
Yes. This means that you will be able to act as though your application is granted if you have not heard from the local authority within 28 days of making your application.
Making an online Application
You can apply online for a street collection permit through the UK Business Link website. You must complete the full application process online and upload your completed application form with supporting documentation to the online system. In order to complete the online application process you will require a government gateway registration.
Apply to run a charitable collection
Notify us of the result of a charitable collection
Further guidance on the online application procedure can be found on the EU Services Directive section of our website
Making a Manual Application
If you prefer to submit a paper application by post or by hand to the council offices you MUST use the below form and submit to the Licensing Team by post or by hand at the below address.
Failed Application Redress
Please contact your Local Authority in the first instance to discuss alternative dates for your collection. There is not right of appeal against the refusal of a charity collection permit.
Consumer Complaint
Please contact the Licensing Team should you wish to make a complaint regarding a street collection. It is also recommended that you contact the charity directly should you wish to make a complaint.
