A few people have asked me about this after reading why market traders matter to this area as much as charity shops do. This is the practical side: what it actually takes to get a stall at Walthamstow specifically, then the broader picture if you're reading this from somewhere else. I've sourced everything I can confirm directly — and I'm upfront about the couple of things you'll need to check with the council yourself, rather than guess at a number that might be wrong for you.
The market runs along Walthamstow High Street, E17 7JX, Tuesday to Friday 8am–5pm and Saturday 8am–5.30pm.
Waltham Forest Council currently issues casual trader licences for Walthamstow Market rather than permanent pitches. The application fee is £36, paid by debit or credit card, plus a separate registration charge as a street trader. Applications are normally decided within four weeks, though contentious ones can take longer — and submitting an application doesn't guarantee you a spot, since it depends on site availability and what you want to sell. The market runs a "clashing policy" too: the same type of item generally can't be sold within five trading sites of each other, so what's already being sold nearby can affect whether you're accepted. To apply, contact the council's Street Trading Team on 020 8496 3000 or by email, stating what you want to sell, and they'll send an application pack.
Waltham Forest's own public liability insurance minimum and its exact position on the secondhand-clothes dealer exemption sit with the Street Trading Team rather than a published figure — confirm both directly when you apply, rather than assume they match another borough. The two sections below give you the general picture other London markets work to, so you know roughly what to expect either way.
Every London borough that issues street trading licences treats public liability insurance as a condition of holding one, not an extra. It covers injury or damage to a member of the public in or around your stall. The minimum cover required varies by council — Hackney asks for £5 million, Barking and Dagenham £2 million, and a £10 million policy will satisfy almost any London market operator's requirements.
Separately from a street trading licence, some local authorities require a "second-hand goods dealer" registration for anyone trading in used items — mainly aimed at goods with a resale/theft risk, like electronics, jewellery or bikes. Useful to know if you're selling secondhand clothes specifically: dealers in secondhand clothes (along with waste paper, cardboard and bulk textiles) are commonly exempt from this registration, in respect of that part of the business. If you sell a mix — clothes plus other secondhand goods — the exemption may only cover the clothes side. Rules like this vary by local authority, so treat this as the general shape rather than any one council's exact wording.
Getting a pitch is one thing; keeping it stocked with things worth buying is another, especially with the rag market in the state it's in. I buy good, sellable stock directly from shops that have more than they can move, and sell it on to traders rather than letting it disappear into rag or go unsold. If you've got a licence, or you're working toward one, I'd like to hear from you. If you're upcycling or remaking what you sell rather than reselling it as-is, there's an extra labelling step worth knowing about first.