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Agenda item

Review of Consultation Period for Street Trading Licences

To approve a further extension of the reduced time period for consultations on street trading licences until 19 July 2021 in line with the Government road map for the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions and to delegate authority to the Head of Community Services, in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Licensing Committee, to make any further amendments to the consultation time period which may be necessary beyond 19 July 2021 should the government road map for the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions change.

Minutes:

8.1            The report of the Interim Environmental Health Manager, circulated at Pages No. 11-13,  explained that, at its meeting on 18 February 2021, the Licensing Committee had agreed to extend the reduction of the consultation period for street trading licences and that the decision would be reviewed at each meeting. The report set out the reasoning for continuing with the reduction in the consultation period in line with the government road map until 19 July 2021 and allowed for the Head of Community Services, in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee, to amend further if the timescales set out in the government road map changed further. Members were asked to approve a further extension of the reduced time period for consultations on street trading licences until 19 July in line with the current government road map for the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions; and to delegate authority to the Head of Community Services, in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Licensing Committee, to make any further amendments to the consultation time period which may be necessary beyond 19 July should the government road map for the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions change.

8.2            The Head of Community Services indicated that the consultation period was usually 28 days but that had been reduced to five days at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The reduction of the consultation period had been agreed as a way to enable street traders to commence working without delay. The current position was that, whilst street trading licences had reduced, there were still certain COVID-19 restrictions in place following the government’s decision to delay the easing of restrictions. It was therefore recommended that the dispensation in respect of the consultation period for street trading applications remain in place until 19 July 2021 in line with the current government road map. The circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic could change rapidly and, in order to ensure Officers were able to react accordingly, it was recommended that authority be delegated to the Head of Community Services, in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Licensing Committee, to make any further amendments to the consultation time period which may be necessary beyond 19 July, should the government road map for the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions change.

8.3            A Member indicated that, at a Parish level, Councillors had been told nothing in the community centre would change; he questioned whether there would be a need to get agreement to go back to normality. The Head of Community Services advised that there was no need for permission. It had been decided that the Council Offices would be getting back to normal slowly but it was up to the individual organisations how they moved forward in accordance with the lifting of restrictions.

8.4            Accordingly, it was

                 RESOLVED           1. That a further extension of the reduced time period for                                          consultations on street trading licences be APPROVED until                              19 July in line with the current government road map for the                                   lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.

                                                2. That authority be delegated to the Head of Community                                                    Services, in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the                                Licensing Committee, to make any further amendments to                                     the consultation time period which may be necessary beyond                                  19 July 2021 should the government road map for the lifting                                   of COVID-19 restrictions change.

Supporting documents: