House to house collections

Licence summary

To carry out house to house collections for charitable purposes in England and Wales you need a licence from the local authority under the provisions of the House to House Collections Act 1939.

Charities given an exeption by the Home Office do not require a house to house collection permit. 

Make an application

Before you apply

Please read our policy on charitable collections and the house to house collection regulations before submitting a new or subsequent application.

Apply online

Online application form

Or download and complete an application form

You will need to provide us with:

  • a completed application form
  • Letter of consent if collecting on behalf of a charity
  • Copy of the latest audited accounts for the charity

Email your application to [email protected].

Costs

There is no charge for a registered charity.

Provided that your application complies with the relevant legislation, we aim to process your application within 14 working days.  This period may be longer if we require additional documents/information or your application is referred to the licensing committee. 

For more advice on making an application you will need to contact us.

Returns

A completed return form must be provided to to the council within 1 month of the collection taking place. Failure to provide a return can prohibit future applications.

Bogus collections

If you are unsure whether a collection bag or leaflet is genuine, we have produced an information leaflet to help you identify the likelihood of a collection being bogus.

Redress procedure

Please contact Cheltenham Borough Council in the first instance.

You have the right to appeal to the Minister for the Cabinet Office.

Appeals must be lodged within 14 days of the refusal.

Tacit Consent

Tacit consent applies to this application.  This means that you can assume the authorisation has been granted (subject to standard conditions that might apply) if you have not received a decision notice from us within 7 calendar days. The timeframe above takes into consideration the need for a Licensing Committee hearing.  Where a decision is delegated to licensing officers, the timeframe for determining an application is likely to be less.

The timeframe above starts on receipt of this acknowledgement.