Issue - meetings

Street Trading Controls - Adoption of Schedule 4 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 and Designation of Consent Streets

Meeting: 20/07/2021 - Scrutiny and Overview Committee (Item 7)

7 Street Trading Controls - Adoption of Schedule 4 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 and Designation of Consent Streets pdf icon PDF 428 KB

Draft Cabinet report attached

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Scrutiny and Overview Committee reviewed the draft of a report that would be seeking the Cabinet’s agreement to the adoption of Schedule 4 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 for the whole of the South Cambridgeshire district, and its agreement to advertise an intention that all streets in the District should be designated consent streets (with the exception of the A11 and A14).

 

For Councillor Dr. Claire Daunton the principal issues to be considered were those of food safety, security, safeguarding and wellbeing.

 

The Lead Cabinet Member for Environment and Licensing acknowledged Councillor Steve Hunt’s concern that the proposed policy might put some traders out of business, but said South Cambridgeshire District Council had to have a degree of control and influence over street trading.

 

Councillor Geoff Harvey said that the proposed licensing framework must relate to the situation in neighbouring local authority areas to ensure a degree of consistency. This would be particularly important in those parishes closest to those areas, such as parishes adjoining Cambridge. Councillor Sarah Cheung Johnson agreed that every effort should be made to align, as far as possible, the administration and costs associated with the proposed policy with those of neighbouring local authorities.

 

Councillor Dr. Richard Williams commented that just because you can regulate something does not necessarily mean you should do so. He wondered whether there was any evidence of unsafe street trading practices within the District. In view of the Covid-19 pandemic, and South Cambridgeshire District Council’s plans for helping businesses to recover from its effects, Councillor Williams questioned the timing of such a policy, which could impose significant financial pressures on some street traders. He wondered what the impact would be on charity and community events. The Lead Cabinet Member for Environment and Licensing assured the Committee that any changes made to the current policy would ne made in the context of equity and fairness. Councillor Dr. Richard Williams reminded the Lead Cabinet Member that the issue of food hygiene fell within a different regime. The Lead Cabinet Member acknowledged that point but said that, without a register of who and where street traders in South Cambridgeshire were, it was difficult to enforce food hygiene in a fair and comprehensive manner.