Street Protests

Information from UK Government website.

If there’s no march organised as part of your protest, you don’t have to tell the police.

Street Marches

Information from UK Government website.

By law you must tell the police in writing 6 days before a public march if you’re the organiser.

Tell the police the:

• date and time of the march
• route
• the names and addresses of the organisers

The police have the power to:

• limit or change the route of your march
• set any other condition of your march

Street Collections in Coventry

Information from Coventry City website.

(Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1916, Section 5

(as amended by the Local Government Act 1972,  Section 251 and Schedule 29)

1. In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires:-

“Collection” means a collection of money or a sale of articles for the benefit of charitable or other purposes.

“Collector” means a person authorised to collect money from this collection or sale of articles;

“Promoter” means a person who causes others to act as collectors;

“The licensing authority” means the Council of the City of Coventry;

“Permit” means a permit for a collection;

“Contributor” means a person who contributes to a collection and includes a purchaser of articles for sale for the benefit of charitable or other purposes;

“Collecting box” means a box or other receptacle for the reception of money from contributors.

2. No collection, other than a collection taken at a meeting in the open air, shall be made in any street or public place within the City of Coventry unless a promoter has obtained a permit from the licensing authority.

3. Application for a permit shall be made, in writing, not later than one month before the date on which it is proposed to make the collection.  In exceptional cases, the licensing authority may reduce the period of one month if satisfied that there are special reasons for so doing.

4. No collection shall be made except upon the day and between the hours stated in the permit.

5. The licensing authority may, in granting a permit, limit the collection to such streets or public places or such parts as it thinks fit.

6. (1) No person may assist or take part in any collection without the written authority of a promoter.

(2) Any person authorised under paragraph (1) above shall produce such written authority, on request by a duly authorised officer of the licensing authority or any constable.

7. No collection shall be made in any part of the carriageway of any street which has a footway however, the licensing authority may, if it thinks fit, allow a collection to take place on a carriageway where such collection has been authorised as part of a procession.

8.       No collection shall be made in a manner likely to inconvenience or annoy any person.

9. No collector shall collect or sell articles in a manner likely to annoy any person.
10. While collecting –

(a) a collector shall remain stationary; and

(b) a collector or two collectors together shall not be less than 25 metres away from another collector:

The licensing authority may, if it thinks fit, waive the requirements of this Regulation in respect of a 

collection which has been authorised as part of a procession.

11. No promoter, collector or person who is otherwise connected with a collection shall permit a person under the age of sixteen years to act as a collector.
12. (1) Every collector shall carry a collecting box.

(2) All collecting boxes shall be numbered consecutively and shall be securely closed and sealed in such a way as to prevent them being opened without the seal being broken.

(3) All money received by a collector from contributors shall immediately be placed in a collecting box.

(4) Every collector shall deliver, unopened, all collecting boxes in his/her possession to a promoter.

13. A collector shall not carry or use any collecting box, receptacle or tray which does not prominently display the name of the charity or fund which is to benefit, or any collecting box which is not numbered.
14. (1) Subject to paragraph (2) below a collecting box shall be opened in the presence of a promoter and another responsible person.

(2) Where a collecting box is delivered, unopened, to a bank, it may be opened by an official of the bank.

(3) As soon as a collecting box has been opened, the person opening it shall count the contents and shall enter the amount with the number of the collecting box on a list which shall be certified by that person.

15. (1) No payment shall be made to any collector.

(2) No payment shall be made out of the proceeds of a collection, either directly or indirectly, to any other person connected with the promotion or conduct of the  collection except for payments which have been approved by the licensing authority.

16. (1) Within one month after the date of any collection the person to whom a permit has been granted shall forward to the licensing authority –

(a) a statement on the form set out in the Schedule attached to these Regulations, or in a similar form, showing the amount received and the expenses and payments incurred in connection with the collections, and certified by that person and a qualified accountant;

(b) a list of the collectors;

(c) a list of the amounts contained in each collecting box; and shall, if required by the licensing authority, satisfy the authority as to the use of the proceeds of the collection.

2) This person shall also, within the same period, at his/her own expense, and after a qualified accountant has given a certificate under paragraph (1)(a) above, publish in such newspaper or newspapers as the licensing authority may direct a statement showing the name of the person to whom the permit has been granted, the area to which the permit relates, the name of the charity or fund to benefit, the date of the collection, the amount collected, and the amount of the expenses and payments incurred in connection with such collection.

(3) The licensing authority may, if satisfied there are special reasons for so doing, extend the period of one month referred to in paragraph (1) above.

(4) For the purposes of this Regulation “a qualified accountant” means a member of one or more of the following bodies:-

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales;

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland;

The Association of Certified Accountants;

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland.

17. These regulations shall not apply –

(a) in respect of a collection taken at a meeting in the open air; or

(b) to the selling of articles in any street or public place when the articles are sold in the ordinary course of trade.

18. Any person who acts in contravention of any of these regulations shall be liable on

               summary conviction to a fine.

If you would like this information in another format 

or language please contact us.
Telephone: (024) 7683 1888
email: licensing@coventry.gov.uk