The Licensing Panel of Hounslow Council is scheduled to consider an application for a Temporary Street Trading Licence for a food stall. The panel will also review the council's Street Trading Licensing Policy.

Healthy Bite Stall Application

A key item on the agenda is the application for a Temporary Street Trading Licence for a stall named 'Healthy Bite'. The stall, operated by Healthy Bite Chiswick Ltd., is proposed to be located on the public highway opposite 253 Chiswick High Road in Chiswick. The applicant seeks permission to sell a range of food items, including falafel wraps, chicken wraps, halloumi wraps, rice with vegetables, salads, soups, fresh juices, and soft drinks, between 10:00 and 16:00, Monday to Sunday.

The stall has been operating at this location since December 2019, with its current licence set to expire in July 2026. The report pack indicates that the stall measures 2.0 metres in depth by 3.0 metres in width. Standard conditions for street trading licences require a minimum unobstructed footpath width of 1.8 metres to ensure safe pedestrian movement.

Consultations have been carried out with various departments, including Planning, Hounslow Highways, and Environmental Health. The Planning Department has raised an objection, stating that the proposed stall requires a full planning permission and the land does not benefit from a permission. ¹ Additionally, two representations have been received against the application. One objector, who is a local business owner, has raised concerns about unfair commercial impact and policy considerations, arguing that the stall's reduced overheads create an uneven and inequitable trading environment compared to brick-and-mortar businesses. This objector also cited concerns regarding obstruction of the public highway, public safety concerns due to LPG equipment, waste management and environmental impact, and the overconcentration and cumulative impact of similar food offerings. Another representation specifically objects to the proposed opening hours, suggesting they should be limited to weekends to be fairer to existing businesses.

The panel will consider whether to grant the application in full or in part, refuse it, or grant it with additional conditions.

Hounslow Street Trading Licensing Policy

The panel is also scheduled to consider the Hounslow Street Trading Licensing Policy. This policy provides a framework for how the council exercises its functions in relation to street trading. It outlines legislation, types of authorisations, fees, conditions, and enforcement procedures. The policy aims to create a street trading environment that is sensitive to the needs of residents, offers diversity and consumer choice, and enhances the character, ambience, and safety of the borough. It also details grounds on which the council may refuse an application, including unsuitable locations, inadequate space, adverse impact on the area's amenity, and insufficient arrangements for waste disposal.

The meeting will be attended by Licensing Enforcement, Councillors Gabriella Giles, Karen Smith, Paul Baker, Theo Dennison, Vivek Ganachari, Gerry Lieberman, Tony Louki, Sampath Mudaliar, Tariq Mehmood, Muhammad Shakeel Akram, Johan Lindsten, Daanish Saeed, Gurbachan Athwal, Unsa Chaudri, and Vilber Decosta, as well as Kerry Holloway and Steven Maunders. Jane Medici is listed as a contact for further information.