UK COUNCILS REQUIRE LICENCES FOR DRIVEWAY CAKE SALES

Local councils across the United Kingdom have begun requiring residents to obtain licences before selling baked goods from their driveways. Operators of informal home-based cake stalls face fees reaching £1,000 to legally run their setups. The enforcement targets what have become known as "cake sheds" — small roadside selling points set up by home bakers on residential properties. Authorities have moved to classify these operations under existing trading regulations.

Council licensing rules that govern street trading and food sales can apply to vendors operating on or adjacent to private property with public access. The £1,000 figure represents the cost of obtaining the necessary permits to comply with local authority requirements. Home bakers who sell without the required licence risk enforcement action from their local council. The rules vary by council area, as licensing powers are administered at the local government level across England and Wales.

The enforcement has placed a financial burden on small-scale home bakers who previously operated without formal oversight. A licence fee of £1,000 represents a significant cost relative to the revenue generated by occasional or low-volume cake sales. The situation has prompted discussion about whether existing street trading regulations are proportionate when applied to small residential food sellers. No national legislative change has been confirmed in response to the enforcement activity.