Somerset Council is launching a public consultation on a proposed new policy for charitable collection licensing, aiming to streamline and standardise the way collections are regulated across the county.
Local authorities are responsible for issuing permits for street cash collections and licences for house-to-house collections of money and goods (excluding bank details).
These regulations help ensure that charitable collections are conducted responsibly, with minimal disruption to the public and proper use of donated funds.
The Council’s Licensing Service is proposing a unified Charitable Collection Policy to replace the varied arrangements inherited from the 4 former district councils.
The new policy is designed to reduce bureaucracy, simplify internal procedures, and minimise the cost of administering the licensing regime.
Key proposals include:
- Permits and licences will only be issued to registered charities or those collecting on their behalf
- Street collections will be permitted on any day of the year, without restriction
- Multiple collections may take place in the same location on the same day
- The requirement to publish collection proceeds in a local newspaper will be removed
The Council invites residents, charities, and stakeholders to review the draft Charitable collection licensing policy (PDF) and share their views from 1 November 2025 until 23 January 2026.
To have your say, visit the Council’s Charitable collection licensing policy consultation page from 1 November.
