Markets, street trading and street parties

Published by a UU��ֱ�� Local Government expert

Practice notes

Markets, street trading and street parties

Published by a UU��ֱ�� Local Government expert

Practice notes

Public highways are used for many purposes beyond simply travelling from one place to another. This Practice Note examines the legal implications of static uses of highway land and of controlling or prohibiting traffic to facilitate static uses.

Markets

Markets are often held on one or more particular days of each week and the stall-holders often remove their stalls between market days (and, indeed, set up those same stalls in other towns on other days). The owner of a market (often the Lord of the Manor or a local authority) usually has the exclusive right to hold a market in a particular town or locality. No others are permitted under the common law within six and two-thirds miles. The exact location of the market within the town or locality is sometimes more flexible; it depends on how the market right was awarded and then on property rights. Many market rights (often called market franchises) derive from ancient Royal charters; others operate under local Acts of Parliament.

Markets often occupy space that is used as a public highway

Jurisdiction(s):

United Kingdom

Key definition:

Local authority definition

What does Local authority mean?

The County, Unitary or london borough Council for a defined area.

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