Agenda item - Street trading exclusion zones for schools - Street Trading Policy Review

Report of the Director of Neighbourhoods, Housing and Communities (copy attached)

18.1    The Committee considered a report of the Director of Neighbourhoods, Communities detailing the The Council’s Street Trading Policy was set by Members at Licensing Committee after extensive consultation in November 2009 and had last been considered at Licensing Committee on the 21 November 2013.

18.2    At the June 2016 Licensing Committee (Non-Licensing Act 2003) the Committee considered a letter from Councillor Peltzer-Dunn regarding a review of the Council’s Street Trading Policy to consider whether a street trading exclusion zone could be introduced around schools in the interest of road safety and healthy eating. A copy of Councillor Peltzer-Dunn’s letter is attached in Appendix 1. The Committee requested that a further report be brought forward to a future meeting of the committee assessing the issue of mobile street traders near schools.

18.3    Councillor Wares stated that he was interested in ensuring that a targeted limited review was undertaken with that aim in view he suggested that paragraphs 2.1 and 2.2 be removed and replaced by:

            “That Officer’s undertake a limited review of all street activity within 50m of schools and report back to a future meeting to inform the Committee such that a decision can be taken whether to consult on a school exclusion zone being considered for the street trading policy.”

18.4    It was understood that it was necessary to specify certain issues in order to ensure that the limited resources available were targeted to greatest effect:-

            a) how long officers should monitor for;

            b) whether all or just food traders should be monitored;

            c) the remit of the review: looking at activity in terms of causing obstruction or nuisance and not in terms of nutrition; and

            d) how the review should be conducted, i.e., by contacting schools and asking them to inform the council whether they had street traders in their vicinity so that the review could be properly targeted.

18.5    Councillor Gilbey was of the view that it was very important to specify how the 50m area was defined.

18.6    Councillors, Bell and Simson supported the proposed amendment and the Chair considered that this would provide a useful remit without being too wide.

18.7    Councillor Page stated that in his view Councillor Peltzer Dunn’s original question had been important and it was his understanding that that street trading legislation could not be used to address this problem. Councillor Deane stated that she wished the paragraphs to be reordered so that current paragraph 2.2 became 2.3.

18.8    A vote was taken and on a vote of 9 to 3 with 2 abstentions the Committee resolved the following:

18.9    RESOLVED - That Officer’s undertake a limited review of all street activity within 50m of schools and report back to a future meeting to inform the Committee such that a decision can be taken whether to consult on a school exclusion zone being considered for the street trading policy.