Agenda and minutes

Members are asked to declare any interest and the nature of that interest which they may have in any of the items under consideration at this meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

To confirm the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 24 January 2023.

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 24 January 2023 were agreed as a correct record.

To receive communications from the Chair.

The Chair reminded Members that the meeting of the Taxi & General Licensing Sub-Committee relating to Robinson’s Tattoo’s that was due to be held the following day would now start at 1pm, as opposed to 2pm.

Report of the Assistant Director – Regulatory Services

Purpose of report

To ask the Committee to approve the designation of streets for the purposes of Street Trading.

Recommendations

The Committee is recommended to:

(1)  Pass a resolution to designate certain streets as prohibited or consent streets for the purposes of street trading in accordance with the list in Appendix A and as detailed in the statutory notice published on the 9^th of March 2023 (Appendix B).

The Assistant Director – Regulatory Services submitted a report which requested the Committee approve the designation of streets for the purposes of street trading.

In introducing the report, the Licensing and Environmental Support Services Manager explained that following the Committee’s previous decision to approve the Council’s draft Street Trading Policy for statutory and public consultation, a notice inviting representations from the public was published on 9 March 2023 in accordance with the statutory requirements of the consultation, with any such representations to be considered by the Committee prior to final approval of the designation of streets.

Aldo Gallone, a local businessman, submitted a representation and addressed the Committee, setting out his view that the inclusion of the A428 at Harlestone Firs on the list of prohibited streets was draconian and unnecessary and would prevent his ice cream van from trading, which had been doing so in this location since the 1940s. In response to Mr Gallone’s representation, the Licensing and Environmental Support Services Manager advised that the A428 at Harlestone Firs had previously been designated as a prohibited street by Daventry District Council, but the necessary files providing the background information and rationale behind this designation could not be located.

Members of the Committee expressed a view that, in the absence of any rationale behind the original decision of Daventry District Council to designate the A428 at Harlestone Firs as a prohibited street and in the absence of any other evidence that street trading in the area would give rise public nuisance or safety issues, it should be removed from the list of prohibited streets in order to allow businesses to continue to trade in the location, subject to the relevant licensing arrangements being in place beforehand. Members of the Committee had no further comments on any of the other streets proposed for designation.

It was proposed by Councillor Sally Beardsworth and seconded by Councillor Imran Ahmed Chowdhury that the designation of streets for the purposes of street trading, as set out in the statutory notice published on 9 March 2023, be approved subject to the removal of the A428 at Harlestone Firs from the list of prohibited streets for the purposes of street trading. The motion was put to the vote with eight votes cast in favour of the proposal and no votes cast against, therefore the motion was carried.

Resolved

(1)  That the designation of streets for the purposes of street trading, as set out in the statutory notice published on 9 March 2023, be approved subject to the removal of the A428 at Harlestone Firs from the list of prohibited streets for the purposes of street trading.

The Chairman to advise whether they have agreed to any items of urgent business being admitted to the agenda.

There were no items of urgent business.