Charities conducting street collections in Somerset may no longer have to publish how much they have raised in the local press.

Somerset Council launched a public consultation on Saturday (November 1) over proposed changed to its licensing policy – specifically the policies relating to charitable street collections carried out across the county.

The council is aiming to streamline and standardise the licensing process, removing unnecessary red tape from the four systems it inherited from the previous district councils in April 2023.

The public have until late-January to give their views on the planned changes, with the new policy expected to formally take effect by the late-spring of 2026.

Anyone wishing to carry out a street cash collection must apply to the council for a permit to do so – just as those carrying out house-to-house collections of money and goods require a licence from the same local authority.

These regulations (many of which date back in some form to the 19th century) are designed to ensure that charitable donations are "conducted responsibly, with minimal disruption to the public and proper use of donated funds".

The only exemption are face-to-face fundraisers who ask people to subscribe or commit to regular direct debit donations – known colloquially as 'chuggers', a portmanteau of 'charity' and 'muggers'.

Under the proposed changes, permits and licences will only be issued to registered charities or those collecting on their behalf – though buskers will be exempt (provided they do not violate by-laws in relation to noise, antisocial behaviour or blocking the roads in any given area).

Those failing to comply could face criminal prosecution and a fine of up to £200.

Street collections will also be permitted on any day of the year, without restriction, and multiple collections may take place in the same location on the same day.

Finally, the requirement to publish collection proceeds in a local newspaper will be removed – though organisations will still need to complete and submit a street collection statement showing how much has been raised and how much will go to the charity in question (i.e. once costs like postage and stationery have been taken into account).

Local residents and charities can take part in the consultation before January 23, 2026.

The responses to the consultation will be considered formally by either the council's licensing and regulatory committee or the most relevant scrutiny committee by the early-spring.

Any formal changes in the licensing policy will have to be ratified by the executive and possibly the full council, giving local division members additional opportunities to speak on behalf of residents.

This means any changes may not be fully implemented until the spring or early-summer of 2026.