Agenda item

The Chair of the Committee welcomed Mr Dakiye to the meeting.

The Street Trading Manager stated that Street Trading Conditions required traders to trade for a minimum of three days per week. Mr Dakiye had been trading since March 2013, first selling mobile telephone accessories and later, because trade was not so good, adding wallets, belts and watches to his licence. 

In March 2019, following requests by Mr Dakiye, his application to vary his licence to sell Ethiopian hot foods was approved by the Street Trading Panel. At the time, there was no one else selling Ethiopian food in Whitecross Street Market and the Council felt that it was right to support a local resident trying to succeed in a local business. The business was going well until in October 2020, when Mr Dakiye had to request carer’s leave from trading to care for a family member with health needs.

Towards the end of March 2020, the Covid pandemic set in and all Council licensed traders faced disruption and the occasional suspension of licences. Although the sale of hot foods was permitted, traders were unable to make a living due to lack of footfall and were awarded dispensation.  Mr Dakiye returned to trade for a brief period in December 2021, but his family member was still very ill and he had to provide care.

The return of traders post pandemic was staggered, but most traders had returned by the end of summer of 2021.  Mr Dakiye was contacted in August 2021 as he had not yet returned to trade. However, once again due to the poor health of his family member, he was not able to return to trade in Whitecross Street Market.  The Street Trading Team supported and communicated with Mr Dakiye on a regular basis through all the time he was absent from the Market.

Mr Dakiye’s licence was renewed in January 2022 but Mr Dakiye did not return to trade, even though he had said that he would and was happy to renew and pay the rent, although he continued to defer his return.

There had been a waiting list for traders wishing to sell hot food in markets and the Street Trading Team had been approached by another local resident wanting to trade in Whitecross Street Market to sell Ethiopian foods.

Since the report for this meeting had been published, Mr Dakiye had returned to trade in Whitecross Street Market in the past week.  The Street Trading Manager stated that, whilst the Council was reluctant to revoke any trader’s licence, they had to balance this against the wish of others to trade in the Market to earn a living.

The Street Trading Manager said that, now that Mr Dakiye had returned to trade, her proposal was that the situation be monitored and she would report back to the Committee in December 2022 on the situation of Mr Dakiye’s trading record.

Mr Dakiye stated that he very much enjoyed working in the Market. The health of his family member was now more manageable and his family situation had improved which meant that he felt confident to return to work in the Market.

RESOLVED:

a) That the application by the Council’s Street Trading Manager for the revocation of the street trading licence of Mr Demiso Dakiye (Licence no LN/000017294), licensed trader at pitch number 547 in Whitecross Street Market, be postponed to the next meeting of the Committee on 5 December 2022.

(b) That it be noted that Mr Dakiye had resumed trading in the previous week and that his continued attendance be monitored by the Street Trading Manager to ensure that he was complying with the conditions of his licence.

(c) That the Street Trading Manager report back to the Committee on

5 December 2022 on (b) above.

Reasons for the decision

The Committee considered all of the written and oral evidence, including the copies of the front pages of letters from Barts Health NHS Trust and Whittington Health NHS, concerning his family member’s health conditions and representations from Mr Dakiye.

The Committee noted that Mr Dakiye had resumed trading in Whitecross Street in the previous week.

The Committee heard directly from Mr Dakiye about his reasons for not being able to trade in Whitecross Market since January 2022, at which point his licence had been renewed.  The Committee also noted that Mr Dakiye had continued to pay his fees throughout this time and remained in communication with the Street Trading Team.

Reasons for the decision

The Committee considered all of the written and oral evidence, including the copies of the front pages of letters from Barts NHS Trust and Whittington Health NHS, concerning his family member’s health conditions and representations from Mr Dakiye.

The Committee noted that Mr Dakiye had resumed trading in Whitecross Street in the previous week.

The Committee heard directly from Mr Dakiye about his reasons for not being able to trade in Whitecross Market since January 2022, at which point his licence had been renewed.  The Committee also noted that Mr Dakiye had continued to pay his fees throughout this time and remained in communication with the Street Trading Team.