Agenda and minutes

To agree the procedures for the operation of hybrid meetings.

RESOLVED –

THAT the guidance on hybrid meetings be agreed.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Apak, Lewis, Mason, Olszewski, Russell and Taheri.

In relation to Agenda Item 8, Councillor Adams advised that he was a sponsor of the Belsize Village Streatery.

Regarding Agenda Item 8, Councillor Spinella declared that Frognal and Fitzjohns Councillors had allocated ward community infrastructure levy funding to the Belsize Village Streatery.

Broadcast of the meeting

The Chair to announce the following: ‘In addition to the rights by law that the public and press have to record this meeting, I would like to remind everyone that this meeting is being broadcast live by the Council to the Internet and can be viewed on our website for twelve months after the meeting. After that time, webcasts are archived and can be made available upon request.

If you have asked to address the meeting, you are deemed to be consenting to having your contributions recorded and broadcast, including video when switched on, and to the use of those sound recordings and images for webcasting and/or training purposes.’

Any other announcements

Broadcasting of the meeting

The Chair announced that the meeting was being broadcast live to the internet and the broadcast would remain available for six months, after which it could be made available on request. Anyone addressing the meeting was deemed to be consenting to having their contribution recorded and broadcast and to the use of those recordings for webcasting and/or training purposes.

Running Order

The Chair also announced that Agenda Item 7 (Minutes) would be heard after Agenda Item 8 (Designation of Streets for Street Trading) and Agenda Item 5 (Deputations) would be heard immediately before Agenda Item 8.

There was no urgent business.

The Chair accepted five deputation requests.

Three deputations in relation to Belsize Village Streatery were heard first.

Bob Padron, representing the Belsize Village Business Association, spoke in favour of designating the Belsize Village Streatery for street trading.

Michelle Caplan, representing a group of Belsize residents, outlined the residents’ concerns about the designating the Belsize Village Streatery, as stated in her written deputation request.

Nikolaos Panigirtzoglou, a Belsize resident, spoke against the Belsize Village Streatery, but as a compromise proposed an alternative plan for the Streatery, as outlined in his written deputation request.

The Chair invited Councillor Cooper to make a statement in support of the Belsize Village Streatery. Councillor Cooper advised that the streatery had been a success and stated that it should be given permanent designation, however he suggested conditions that would remediate some of the residents’ concerns.

Responding to the deputations, the Head of Community Safety and Public Protection emphasised that counter terrorism measures were in place and all streatery schemes had developed robust risk assessments in partnership with the police and other relevant services.

The following information was provided by deputees in response to Member’s questions:

• Mr Padron advised that prior to the introduction of the streatery piles of rubbish and both residential and business fly tipping in the square had been an issue, however, due to the waste collection service put in place for the streatery, this problem had been resolved. The waste collection service was paid extra if they cleared the square of rubbish that had been discarded .
• Mr Padron reported that the Streatery was operated by local residents and businesses who were volunteers.
• Ms Caplan explained that historically the square had road running through, which had been closed off, save for emergency vehicle access. However, it was sometimes difficult for emergency vehicles to access the area as bikes and rubbish had blocked access. A section of the square had always been public amenity space.
• Ms Caplan advised that she was not against the streatery in its entirety, rather the proposed size and timings and suggested fewer tables should be allowed between 12.00hrs and 18.00hrs.
• Mr Panigirtzoglou stated that residents had given up outdoor amenity space to make way for the streatery and believed that they were not getting anything in return.
• Mr Panigirtzoglou also believed that rubbish being discarded in the square was a problem that could have been resolved without the streatery.
• Mr Padron stated that the streatery had been of benefit to local community, and one example of this was the rubbish collection, the amenity space was previously underutilised due to the rubbish putting residents off using the space.
• Mr Padron added that when the streatery was set up the rubbish in the square had been dealt with by organisers and a regular rubbish collection was set up.

The Head of Community Safety and Public Protection made the following points of clarification:

• The Licensing Team had found Mr Padron, who was the temporary license holder for the streatery, to be open  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

This report details the consultation responses received in relation to the three proposed designation locations for street trading across the borough and requests that Members consider the responses and determine whether to proceed with formal designation. 

Consideration was given to the report of the Director of Community Services.

The Head of Community Safety and Public Protection outlined the report and apprised Committee Members of the options available to them.

Members commented that some of the streateries were clearly successful, whereas others were in inappropriate locations. The consultation responses had been generally favourable for the Belsize Village Streatery but had strongly opposed the Neal’s Yard and Earlham Street locations.

Having considered the consultation responses as well as the deputations, the Committee agreed to reject the proposal to designate the Neal’s Yard Streatery (Location B) and the Earlham Street Streatery (Location C) for permanent street trading in its entirety.

The Head of Community Safety and Public Protection explained that conditions could be added to the licence to ensure there was adequate access along the public highway and that the licence  permitted outdoor seating only, and no other licensable activities.

Members were minded to grant permanent designation for the Belsize Village Streatery, however considered  that there should be conditions on the licence that aimed to mitigate the concerns of local residents, as outlined in the consultation responses and deputations.

Therefore, Councillor Adams moved a recommendation in the form of a motion, as follows:

That the Belsize Village Streatery referred to as Location A in the report, be designated for the purposes of street trading to permit the use of furniture for outdoor dining, subject to additional conditions that specified the following:

1)    That refuse collections be monitored and a more appropriate solution for bin storage devised.

2)    Deliveries be controlled and regulated, where possible.

3)    Footways must not be obstructed and there must always be at least 1.8 metres of passage space to ensure that access is not obstructed  

4)    A liaison group, to include the streatery organisers and local residents, be established

Councillor Callaghan proposed that an additional condition be included that specified that the existing private waste collection be continued alongside the Council’s contracted refuse collection service.

Councillor Adams accepted the amendment.

Councillor Cassarani proposed an amendment that the streatery should be limited to one half of the public square only, as outlined in Mr Panigirtzoglou’s written deputation request, contained within the supplementary agenda.

The amendment was rejected.

On being put to the vote the motion was passed.

Therefore, it was

RESOLVED –

THAT the Licensing Committee:

i)    Refuse the proposal for Neal’s Yard Streatery, referred to as Location B in the report, and the Earlham Street Streatery, referred to as Location C, to be designated for the purposes of street trading to permit the use of furniture for outdoor dining; and

ii)   Agree to designate the Belsize Village Streatery, referred to as Location A in the report, for the purposes of street trading to permit the use of furniture for outdoor dining, subject to include the additional conditions that specified the following:

1)         That the existing private waste collection be continued alongside the Council contracted refuse collection.

2)         Deliveries be controlled and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 25^th November 2021.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meeting held on 25^th November 2021.

RESOLVED –

THAT the minutes be approved and signed as a correct record.

There was none.