How to become a market trader

Regular trader 

If you want to trade on a regular basis you will need to apply for a regular trading licence. 

Regular licences are granted for up to 12 months. To continue trading after 12 months you will be issued with a new licence. Licences can not be transferred, but you can have employees as long as they have the right to work in the UK and you have employers' liability insurance. 

Casual trader

If you want to trade on a casual basis you should apply for a casual trading licence.

Casual traders are allocated a stall based on availability at the market on the day. As a casual trader, the fee you pay will be slightly higher than the regular trader's fee.

Application process

To apply for a stall as a regular trader or a casual trader you need to complete the new trader application form and attach the supporting information listed below. Send your form and evidence to the market team.

It is possible to change your licence type, add people to your licence or terminate your licence. To do this you will need to contact the market team. 

Regular and casual traders will need the following supporting evidence:

• Public Liability Insurance with a minimum value of £5,000,000
• Employers Liability Insurance at a minimum value of £5,000,000 (if applicable)
• photo identification, for example passport or driving licence
• proof of address, for example recent utility bill or bank statement
• proof of right to work in the UK, for example British passport, biometric card issued by UK Border Agency or birth certificate. 

If you would like to sell food you must submit all of the above, and must also have:

• a minimum food hygiene rating of 3. 
• food hygiene training to a minimum level CIEH Level 2 Award in Food Safety in Catering

If you're using a catering vehicle, you may be required to provide safety compliance paperwork, for example gas and electricity checks. 

You can find further details about what you need to provide in the application form. 

If your application is successful you will be issued with a licence to trade. Regular traders will be issued with a regular trading licence and casual traders will be issued with a casual day licence. If you are a casual trader you will not have to submit all the application information each time you wish to trade as it will be kept on file. 

Limits on types of items being sold

There is a limit on the number of stalls that can sell the same type of goods.  This is to ensure that there is a diversity to the market. If you would like to sell goods that are over-represented at the market, you will be placed on a waiting list and notified when a space becomes available. 

Setting up a charity or information stall

If you would like to set up a charity stall and you do not already trade at the market, you will need to make a casual trader application. Include a letter from the charity you represent with the charity number. Charity stalls are permitted on Saturdays only. In Walsall they are limited to the market square area on Digbeth.

Regular market traders are entitled to 4 days holiday per year for each day they trade. Pro-rata calculations are explained in the table below. 

Traders are required to give seven days notice of holidays.  This can be done by contacting the market team. 

Special leave will be assessed on an individual basis and will be subject to approval. 

If a regular trader signs up to trade part way through the year then their holiday entitlement will be reduced.

Holidays are non-transferable to the following year and non-transferable across different trading days. 

The following items are prohibited from being sold at any market within Walsall:

• weapons of any kind, for example knuckle duster, swordstick, hand claw, firearms
• ammunition and bullets designed to explode on or before impact
• anything designed to be projected as a missile designed to expand on impact
• flammable liquids
• fireworks
• battery-operated helicopters
• adult-themed goods
• second-hand cookers and fires (gas and electric)
• second-hand washing machines
• second-hand fridges and freezers
• second-hand cosmetics and toiletries
• second-hand baby and children’s car seats

This list is not exhaustive and can change depending on current trends. Contact the market team for further information. 

Market teams have an encroachment policy which allows the use of additional space across the market. 

Enforcement 

When the enforcement procedure is implemented the following steps will be taken: 

1. A verbal warning is issued to the trader and logged at the council’s market office 
2. A second verbal warning is issued to the trader and logged at the council’s market office (the warnings need not relate to the same issue or the same stall) 
3. A written warning is issued to the trader and logged at the council’s market office 
4. The trader is suspended from trading at the market for two of their following trading days 
5. For a second time, the trader is suspended from trading at the market for two of their following trading days 
6. Where a trader has already been suspended on two separate occasions (i.e. for four trading days), on the next occasion that the enforcement procedure is implemented the trader’s licence will be terminated without further notice.

Appeals

If you would like to appeal against a termination of your licence you should send a letter to the market team within 14 days of the termination taking effect. Set out full grounds of your appeal and include any evidence in support of your appeal.

Appeals will be discussed and heard by the Head of Service within 28 days of receipt of the evidence. Their decision will be final. Walsall Council will provide the you with 14 days notice of the hearing date. You can attend the hearing, and may bring a representative. You must give us seven days' notice before the hearing, and provide the name, address and capacity of the representative.

For further information, or to request a copy of the full policy, contact the market team.