The Licensing Panel were scheduled to convene to discuss a temporary street trading licence for Chiswick Flower Market. The panel were also due to appoint a chair for the meeting and were reminded of the need to declare any conflicts of interest.

Here's a breakdown of the key items from the agenda:

Chiswick Flower Market Temporary Street Trading Licence

The Licensing Panel were asked to consider an application from Chiswick Flower Market, adjacent to 123-211 Chiswick High Road, Chiswick, W4 2DR-W4 2EG, W4 2DT, W4 2ED, for a temporary street trading licence.

The applicant, Chiswick Flower Market, requested permission to add alcohol sales to their existing licence, and to remove conditions relating to spacing between stalls and benches. The application specified the market's intention to operate on the first Sunday of each month (excluding January) between 09:00 and 16:00, accommodating up to 65 pitches.

According to the report pack, the panel had several options:

• Grant the application in full or in part, subject to standard conditions.
• Refuse the application.
• Grant the application with standard conditions and additional conditions.

Background Information

The report pack included details of the market's proposed layout, with stalls of either 6mx3m or 3mx3m, selling flowers, plants, horticultural accessories, gifts, food and alcohol. The application stated that local businesses would have priority in providing alcohol.

The London Local Authorities Act 1990 states that standard conditions dictate that licensed areas should not exceed one third of the usable footpath width, and a minimum unobstructed footpath width of 1.8 metres must be maintained. The report pack noted that these standard conditions are in place to promote public safety, but can be amended or discounted depending on the individual circumstances of each application.

The report pack also referenced the council's Street Trading Policy, adopted on 16 May 2011, which provides a framework for the council's approach to street trading. Sections 2.11 and 5 of the policy outline factors to be considered when determining applications, while section 2.10 outlines grounds for refusal.

Representations

The council consulted various bodies including Licensing Enforcement, Hounslow Highways, the Fire Authority, Planning, Pollution, Health & Safety, Food Safety, Traffic/Transport, the Events Team, the Safety Advisory Group, and ward councillors.

One representation was received from Councillor Joanna Biddolph, raising concerns about accessibility for wheelchair users if the spacing between stalls and benches was removed. Councillor Joanna Biddolph quoted the Equality Act 2010, highlighting the duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people.

Hounslow Highways requested the removal of pitch E1, as shown on the plan, to maintain clear sightlines at the Devonshire Road junction. The applicant, Kathleen Mitra, responded with a photo and stated that they ensure 2m clearance at the E1 location and that the location is important for the visual flow of the market.

Three ward councillors submitted representations in support of the application, including Councillor Jack Emsley, Councillor Ron Mushiso and Councillor Ranjit Gill. Councillor Jack Emsley stated that the flower market has developed a unique identity in London as a market town, brings a large amount of footfall to the high road, demonstrates a high commitment to complying with its licence, and is a fantastic local community group whose revenue is reinvested into Chiswick.

Declaring Interests

At the start of the meeting, committee members were reminded of the need to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests¹ or other registerable interests, as outlined in the Members' Code of Conduct.