The Licensing Regulatory Committee of Islington Council was scheduled to discuss new charges for pavement licences in the borough, and whether to designate an area of pavement in Archway for street trading. They were also set to receive a report about the administrative arrangements for the committee in 2024/25.

Application to designate an area of the highway on the footway in Junction Road

The Licensing Regulatory Committee were scheduled to consider an application to designate for the purpose of street trading an area on the footway outside Archway tube station at 1 Junction Road. The application was made by a local business selling falafel, who previously traded one day a week in Navigator Square. The applicant wished to trade six days a week.

The report noted that:

The Street Trading Team can report that at the time of writing, they have received no objections as a result of the consultation process. The deadline was 30 April 2024.

[...], Planning have confirmed that as the trading receptacle will be removed at the end of the trading day, planning permission will not be required.

Pavement Licence Fee Increases

Councillors were scheduled to note that new legislation means that from 2 April 2024, councils can charge businesses up to £500 for a pavement licence, and up to £350 to renew a licence.

The report noted that:

The Street Trading Account is ringfenced and intended to be self-funding, however the impact of the covid 19 pandemic has meant a dramatic loss of income from street trading licences, including pavement licences and this has been exacerbated by the huge loss of income from pavement licences. The £100 fee does not come close to covering the administrative cost of processing licences and paying for compliance officers to monitor businesses.

The report goes on to say that in 2023-24, £114,000 was taken from the Street Trading Reserve Account in order to allow the street trading service to operate. It says that the reserve account cannot sustain another loss this year.

Officers recommended increasing fees to the maximum allowed by the new legislation, and that renewals should take place every 6 months, as this is the most cost-effective way to administer the licences, as well as:

[...] managing people friendly streets with reduced highways clutter.

Administrative arrangements for the Licensing Regulatory Committee for the municipal year 2024/2025

The committee was scheduled to receive a report describing the administrative arrangements for the committee, including meeting dates, membership and the terms of reference for the committee.