The Licensing Committee of Croydon Council met on Wednesday, 8 January 2020, to consider applications for street trading designations and licences. The committee approved six applications, designating sections of public highway for street trading and granting the associated licences.

Applications for Street Trading Designations and Licences

The committee considered and approved applications for street trading designations and licences at several locations across the borough.

At 112 Brighton Road, Coulsdon, CR5 2NB¹, the committee agreed to designate a section of public highway for street trading and grant a licence. This site already had an existing designation, but a new one was required due to the applicant seeking to trade on a larger area. A committee member noted that the proposed designation could help alleviate difficulties for customers with trollies navigating the kerb.

The committee also resolved to designate a section of highway outside 133 Wickham Road, Shirley, CR0 8TE² for street trading and grant a licence. During the discussion, the applicant enquired about the possibility of placing an A-board, which the Head of Licensing clarified would require a separate planning application. The use of shisha was confirmed as acceptable within the designated area, provided it was used outdoors as a tobacco product. Concerns about the proximity to a bike rack were addressed, with the Head of Licensing confirming it exceeded the required distance.

An application for 24-26 London Road, Croydon, CR0 2TA³ was also approved. This site is located within a Saturation Area, a policy introduced in 2009 to manage the proliferation of mobile phone kiosks. Despite this, the committee was advised that each application should be considered on its individual merits. Concerns were raised about the proximity to a bus stop, but the Market and Street Trading Compliance Officer confirmed the clearance was larger than two metres. The committee also discussed the Saturation Area policy, with the Chair noting that revisiting it was outside the scope of this committee.

The committee resolved to designate a section of highway outside 83 Thornton Road, Thornton Heath, CR7 6BD⁴ for street trading and grant a licence. Transport for London (TfL)⁵ had initially raised concerns about the designation obscuring the footpath, but these were retracted after the applicant reduced the proposed area. A member commented that the designation would bring character to that part of the road.

For 15-17 Croham Road, South Croydon, CR2 7PB⁵, the committee designated a section of public highway for street trading and granted a licence. The Vice-Chair, a regular customer at the shop, noted that the public highway narrowed after the property, with the shop set back from the street scene. The placement of an existing bin was discussed, with the Market and Street Trading Compliance Officer confirming it would remain in situ with some clearance.

Finally, the committee considered and resolved to vary the designation and grant a variation to the street trading licence outside 43-245 Lower Addiscombe Road, Croydon, CR0 6RD⁶. The new occupier wished to display fruit and vegetables alongside chairs and tables, a change from the previous designation for household goods.