Agenda item

Haringey’s Street Trading Policy sets out a framework for the approval and control of street trading in the borough.  This policy specifically prevents the issue of temporary street trading licences.   This report seeks to have a temporary relaxation of this policy restriction for a trial period.  Results of this trial period will feed into a wider review of on street trading and will allow options to be tested for the future use of land to the front of Hornsey Town Hall.

 The Committee were informed  that the Council’s street trading policy set out  a framework for the approval and control of street trading in the borough and this policy specifically prevented the issues of temporary street traded licences. The committee were asked to agree a temporary relaxation of this policy restriction for a trial period . It was noted that the results of this trial period would feed into a wider review of street trading  which would come before the  Regulatory Committee in 6 months time.  In the meantime it was proposed to complete a consultation  exercise with residents and traders in areas prior to any trial period being implemented .  Feedback to the Chair would follow on the outcomes of the consultation with  steer being sought on whether a report  back to committee was needed. There were two choices available to the committee,  to consider a  relaxation of the  policy for the whole borough  or for specified areas  listed in 3.1.b.

The committee learned that there had been interest reported previously to the service from perspective traders in obtaining street trading licences and it was noted that Haringey was the only borough to have a blanket ban on temporary street trading .

It was noted that the specified areas of Holmesdale Road N6 and  Archway Road set out in recommendation 3.1.b were essentially the same area  and policy relaxations would not proceed unless there was strong support for this scheme. Information was  further provided on the reasoning behind the suggested specified areas of Hornsey Town Hall, Lymington Avenue and Elm Park Road.

Members were informed that it would be difficult to report back the results of all the separate area consultations to this Committee as this  information would  be considered as part of the overall review on street trading licenses to  be reported back to the appropriate Committee in 6 months time . However, to ensure that there was appropriate communication with  councillors, officers would ensure that ward members  were part of the consultation exercise. It was noted that traders views in existing areas would be sought as part of the consultation and issues such as the economical impact  would be picked up in the overall review to be completed in 6 months time.

The Committee advised officers that  this  was also a  local policy issue which  would be very  relevant to the work of the  Area committees. Therefore it would be useful to add the topic of  street trading  licenses to their work plans. They further questioned whether licensing policy would be part of the Corporate Committee’s terms of reference as it was likely to now be in the remit of  the new Regulatory Committee.

RESOLVED

1. That amendments to  the current street trading policy so that applications for temporary street trading can be permitted for a trial period of 6 months from this decision be agreed.

2. That consultation be undertaken with ward councillors, Area Committees, residents and traders in the affected areas prior to any trial period being implemented.

3. That feedback on the  consultation and discussion on the  final  locations for temporary street trading licences be designated to the Regulatory Committee.