Causeway Coast and Glens Council approves changes to street trading policy
Causeway Coast and Glens Council has approved a change to its Street Trading Policy which means it can now only refuse a licence for trading-related offences.
At this month’s Environmental Services Committee meeting, members were asked to endorse several significant changes to the policy, including changes to applications from vendors with criminal records.
The previous policy required a criminal records check, and the new policy now states that any misconduct must be related to trading activities, thus preventing Council from refusing an application because of conviction for non-street trading offences such as driving offences or parking misdemeanours.
However, an applicant can be refused a licence if Council has sufficient evidence to demonstrate they have committed offences relating to street trading activities.
UUP Councillor Richard Holmes asked officers to confirm any offence that occurred outside the context of street vending would not impede a vendors application.
He said: “Maybe I just picked this up wrong, but in terms of refusal we’re only able to refuse a trading licence for an offence against trading.”
An officer confirmed that councillor Holmes was correct, and confirmed if the check turns up a conviction for anything other than a trading offence, Council “can’t refuse” the application.
They noted Council have refused an application in the past, and a vendor then went to a magistrates court and had he decision overturned because “we had no other reason for doing it”.
Councillor Holmes concluded: “It’s one that could be tricky on down the line, but at the end of the day the law is the law.”