Street Trading Consultation
Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce has advised East Devon District Council that it will oppose their proposal to turn almost all Sidmouth’s roads to ‘Consent Street’ status. This will allow street traders to sell goods and services almost anywhere in the town subject only to a licence from EDDC.
At present only the Ham is a consent street, along with The Esplanade during Folk Week. The Chamber thinks the current arrangements work well, and the right element of control over street trading is applied. A spokesperson commented: ‘The Chamber is very comfortable with the kind of street food and stalls that are currently offered from time to time at the Ham, and, for example, Kennaway House. We think this is the right balance going forward. Indeed it was the Chamber who first suggested that The Ham should be a Consent Street.’
The Chamber feels that allowing a large number of burger vans, ice cream salesmen, stalls selling bric-a-brac and clothing throughout the town centre is likely to be a problem for a number of reasons:
1. It is likely to be unfair competition for our established traders who pay rates, have to meet high environmental standards, and are part of our community. They provide a service throughout the year and are faced with unprecedented challenges. Many of the stalls, vans and trailers will be coming from outside the area, and will only appear at peak times in the summer to take our trade.
2. Past experience has shown that street trading greatly increases litter and pollution: ironically it is often local businesses who have to clean up the mess outside their shops.
3. Our road system, our listed buildings, our Conservation Areas, and our much-admired Esplanade and Beach, are simply not suitable.
4. Sole control of the ‘consent street’ system of licensing is vested in EDDC, so Sidmouth will have no say in what is allowed. EDDC is only offering ‘consultation’.
5. The current system is flexible and working well, and there are plenty of suitable locations for ‘street food’ to be purveyed.
6. The ‘Consent Street’ system has been controversial in other East Devon towns. We seem to have few problems whereas other towns are frequently in the news as a result of issues arising from street trading.
The Chamber is unhappy with the current description of the Consultation process on the EDDC website. This implies that the only change in Sidmouth is to the Esplanade, where EDDC want to see street trading such as we have during Folk Week allowed throughout the summer. The EDDC press release does not mention that they also want stalls, vehicles and traders on the Beach in the summer, and in 30 other streets in and around Sidmouth town centre.
For example, they wish to see street trading in Glen Road, Manor Road, Fortfield Terrace and Coburg Road, and in busy thoroughfares like All Saints Road, Vicarage Road, Sid Road, Salcombe Road, the High Street and Fore Street.
Surely, these roads are completely unsuitable and inappropriate for this type of trading.
The full list of streets proposed for Street Trading is as follows:
All Saints Road
Bedford Square and including the un-named street leading from Bedford Square to the Esplanade
Blackmore View
Chapel Road
Chapel Street
Church Street
Coburg Road - between Coburg Terrace and Church Street
Dove Lane - and the lane between Dove Lane & New Street
Fore Street
Fortfield Place
Fortfield Terrace
Glen Road, - south of Manor Road
Ham Lane and East Street - from the Esplanade to Fore Street
High Street
King Street
Manor Road
Market Place
Mill Street, - west of its junction with Russell Street
Millford Road, - north of the ford
New Street
Old Fore Street
Peak Hill Road – east from its junction with Cotmaton Road.
Prospect Place
Radway, - south of the Post Office
Salcombe Road
Sid Road, - south of Redwood Road
Station Road - between Knowle Drive and The Esplanade
Streets adjoining the Three Cornered Plot (Known as The Triangle)
The Beach – from the mouth of the River Sid westwards to a point opposite Clifton Cottage.
The un-named street between Elizabeth Hotel and Marlborough Hotel (now Dukes)
Vicarage Road, - south of Connaught Road
York Street
Esplanade & Promenade ( from May 1 to September 1 )
The Chamber is concerned that many residents in these locations are unaware of the impending change to the status of their road, and will not respond to the Consultation. Last time this issue was raised, the community of Sidmouth voted overwhelmingly against consent streets., and Sidmouth won the day. The consultation closes on February 26, and the link to it is here:
This is the image that EDDC is using to promote consent streets throughout the town. It shows the Esplanade as it is during Folk Week when it has Consent Street status. The Chamber has accepted that for one week of the summer, this is acceptable. Stalls on the Esplanade in Folk Week has divided Sidmouth opinion for years. But is that really what we want to see throughout the entire four months of summer, every day? And matched by even more stalls and vehicles on the Beach? And throughout the town centre and all the surrounding streets?
