The Licensing Sub-Committee of Aberdeenshire Council was scheduled to meet on Wednesday, 12 August 2026. The primary item on the agenda was the consideration of a street trader's licence, which had been subject to an immediate suspension. The meeting also included a review of the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Public Sector Equality Duty

Members of the Licensing Sub-Committee were reminded of their legal obligations under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010. This duty requires them to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, and victimisation; advance equality of opportunity between those with protected characteristics and those without; and foster good relations between these groups. The protected characteristics include age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

The report pack provided guidance on how members could discharge this duty, emphasizing a conscious consideration of these needs when making decisions. It highlighted that the relevance and potential impact of a decision on individuals with protected characteristics would determine the level of regard required. Members were directed to the Council Priorities, Implications and Risk section of reports to ascertain if an Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) had been conducted and to consider its findings. An IIA is typically provided when a recommended action is likely to have a differential impact on different protected groups.

Consideration of Street Trader's Licence

A significant item scheduled for discussion was the consideration of a street trader's licence under Paragraph 11 of Schedule 1 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. This followed an immediate suspension of the licence under Paragraph 12 of the same schedule. The report pack indicated that this item was confidential and that the public and media representatives might be excluded from this part of the meeting. The specific details of the licence holder and the reasons for the suspension were not publicly available in the provided documents.

The meeting was scheduled to be held virtually via Microsoft Teams. The agenda and reports pack for this meeting can be found on the Aberdeenshire Council website¹.