Minutes

The Chair reminded Members of the need to declare any known interests in any matters to be considered at the meeting.  No declarations were made.

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 7^th and 21^st January 2009, be confirmed and signed as a correct record.

            No public questions were received during the meeting.

            The Committee considered a report of the Head of Licensing setting out issues relating to the development of policies in relation to street trading in Swindon town centre.

            Resolved – (1) That, subject to statutory consultation, approval be given to facilitating street trading in those areas, set out in the report, which are currently defined as prohibited streets, by changing their designation to “consent streets” and that any objections received be considered by this Committee prior to submission to Council for confirmation.

            (2) That, with the Council’s Street Trading Policy still subject to amendment, the status quo, for existing street traders operating within the consent scheme in the town centre be maintained until 31^st October 2009,.

            (3) That street trading applications in connection with town centre consent streets be put on hold as of their status on 1^st February 2009, for any application which involves trading for more than one hundred days in a calendar year or more than two days in any period of seven days, if the proposal is in conflict with the current trading activities of street traders who were actively trading in the town centre in 2008.

            (4) That public consultations be undertaken on the re-designation of the streets referred to in the Head of Licensing’s report from “consent” to “prohibited” streets with effect from 1^st November 2009 and that any objections be considered by this Committee prior to submission to Council for Confirmation.

            (5) That officers advise Street Traders that, should they be considering investing in new equipment, that they should discuss any proposals with the Head of Licensing.