Agenda item - Street Trading Policy

Report of the Assistant Director of Public Safety (copy attached).

RESOLVED – That the Committee agrees the following in relation to the Street Trading Policy:

1.         That the Committee supports the street trading policy as set out in appendix 1 of the report (for copy see minute book).

2.         That Members agree to consult on a standard street trading condition that would be imposed to exclude traders 25 meters from school curtilages.

3.         That the Committee authorises Officers to consult further with existing street traders and Officers engage with street traders concerning the Council’s Healthy Choice Award Scheme.

35.1    The Committee considered a report of the Assistant Director of Public Safety regarding the Street Trading Policy (for a copy see minute book).

35.2    The Licensing Manager summarised the report and stated that the added conditions would make the existing policy more transparent and enforceable. Relevant interested parties were consulted on 27 November 2008 and representations had been received from Dorothy Stringer school. She stated that the curtilage of schools had been exempt from the policy in June 2004, and that Officers were requesting permission from the Committee to fully consult on the proposals.

35.3    Councillor Kitcat stated that he was concerned about approving permission for consultation as this would indicate to residents that the consultation responses could influence future policy. He did not feel that consultation responses were always considered properly, and did not want to raise the expectations of residents and interested parties. He asked what influence the proposed consultation would have on policy.

35.4    The Head of Environmental Health and Licensing recognised that a key lesson learnt from previous consultation exercises was that the responses sometimes raised radical options, which had not been considered as proposals under the initial consultation. If the authority implemented these radical options they would be exposed to allegations of unfairness, as many interested parties would not have had the opportunity to comment on the amendments. Therefore a second consultation exercise needed to be conducted on amended proposals, and limits set, which would give everyone the opportunity to comment fairly.

            The Head of Environmental Health and Licensing went on to say that creating a healthy eating zone around schools, as proposed by the Education Department in the initial consultation, would be difficult as street trading policy was not intended as a tool to encourage healthy eating decisions. He stated that the Council ran a Healthy Awards Scheme that the Licensing Team were promoting to address this problem.

35.5    Councillor West asked for the recommendation contained within 2.2 of the report to be worded more accurately, and Councillor Simson proposed an amendment to the recommendation.

35.6    RESOLVED – That the Committee agrees the following in relation to the Street Trading Policy:

1.         That the Committee supports the street trading policy as set out in appendix 1 of the report (for copy see minute book).

2.         That Members agree to consult on a standard street trading condition that would be imposed to exclude traders 25 meters from school curtilages.

3.         That the Committee authorises Officers to consult further with existing street traders and Officers engage with street traders concerning the Council’s Healthy Choice Award Scheme.