Agenda and minutes

None.

None.

Councillor David Poyser declared an interest in agenda item B1 (Application to designate an area of the highway in Archway Close, N19 3TD, for street trading purposes), as a member of the Archway Town Centre Management Group. In addition, the "ArchWay With Words Books Festival" had received a grant from the Council under the Local Initiatives Fund awards scheme.

Councillor Marian Spall declared an interest in agenda item B1 (Application to designate an area of the highway in Archway Close, N19 3TD, for street trading purposes), as the Vice-Chair of Elthorne Pride.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 13 December 2017 be confirmed as an accurate record of proceedings and the Chair be authorised to sign them.

Matter arising:

Minute 60 – Breach of street trading conditions – Finsbury Square -  The Service Manager for Street Trading and Trading Standards, updated the Committee on progress regarding the oversized trading vehicle in a pitch at Finsbury Square. He said that, up to this day, Street Trading officers had been discussing with the trader and the Council’s Public Realm Team the possibility of extending the pitch into the cycle bay situated outside the Hotel.  However, the trader had now stated that he was considering the purchase of a smaller vehicle to fit into the existing pitch. Council officers were due to meet with the trader in two weeks.

The Street Trading Manager introduced the report, which sought approval to the designation for street trading purposes of an area in Archway Close, N19 3TD, on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays, from 8.00am to 8.00pm.

In response to a question from a member of the Committee as to whether all written responses from businesses and the public had been included with the report, the Street Trading Manager stated that all but one written representation had been included with her report. The person making the representation had asked why the specific days for trading had been suggested. The Street Trading Manager had informed the enquirer that the purpose of the Committee meeting on 5 February 2018 was for members to consider whether or not to designate the particular area for street trading purposes and that all other licensing issues, including days of operation, would be considered by officers, in communication with traders, once the designation had been approved.

Ms Stephanie Smith, the operator of the existing Archway Market on Holloway Road and the proposed operator of any new market under the proposed designation, was invited to address the Committee. Ms Smith stated that the business plan circulated with the report for this Committee had been updated,  that a mixed community market was proposed, with food, a book stall, antiques and one free stall, which would be reserved for neighbourhood purposes. She was prepared to bear the cost of that free stall.  A further two stalls would be for “pop-ups” and not permanent traders.  In addition, as she enjoyed a good working relationship with local businesses, she hoped to use the new market as a springboard for involving young people, working in partnership with Elthorne Pride. 

The Street Trading Manager stated that, once the designation had been approved, officers would be considering details such as the positioning of stalls in the new market to ensure that they did not block shop entrances etc.

In response to questions about timescales for the establishment of the proposed new market, the Street Trading Manager said that planning permission would have to be sought and notices would have to be published in the local press and the whole process was expected to take a couple of months.  

The Legal Officer confirmed that, if the designation was approved at today’s meeting, the designation would take effect after the expiration of one month and officers would have to publish the passing of the designating resolution in a local newspaper on two consecutive weeks, the first publication being no later than 28 days after the designating resolution was passed. Planning approval would also have to be sought and could take between six and eight weeks.

A member of the Committee noted that one of the representations made relating to the question of access by emergency vehicles to the Church or the shops in the vicinity had not been addressed. Ms Smith, the proposed market operator, assured members that she was working with Council officers on that issue.

Members expressed a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 66.