Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Coulter and Councillor Wolff.

The Sub Committee resolved to elect Councillor Clarkson as Chair for this meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Sub Committee resolved to NOTE the procedure.

The Head of Planning & Regulatory Services has submitted a report which details an application from Mr Khalid Shihadeh for the renewal of street trading site at 25 St Aldate's End, Pembroke Square, Oxford.

Mr Shihadeh (applicant) attended the meeting and gave his consent to the case being heard by just two members of the Sub-Committee.

The Head of Planning & Regulatory Services submitted a report concerning an application from Mr Khalid Shihadeh for the renewal of street trading site at 25 St Aldate's End, Pembroke Square, Oxford for the period 1 April 201 to 31 March 2017.

The Licensing Officer presented the report to the Sub Committee. She explained that Mr Shihadeh had been trading on the site since 2005 and during that time there had been no enforcement issues.  However, although Mr Shihadeh had held a trading consent for the period 1 April to 30 September 2015 Licensing Officers had not observed him trading during that time.  She explained that the renewal had therefore been referred to the Sub-Committee in accordance with the Street Trading Policy.  The site was a prime location for daytime street trading and the Council had received a number of enquires for it.

Mr Shihadeh (applicant) presented his case.  He explained that the majority of his trade was in the summer months, mainly July and that his own ill-health and economic hardships resulting from a poor trading season in 2014 had restricted his ability to trade fully in 2015. He said that he was confident that he would be able to trade as normal in 2016.

The Sub-Committee noted that a Street Trader cannot be said to enjoy security of tenure and there is no requirement for the Council to give compensation for the loss of any consent.

At this point the applicant and Licensing Officers withdrew to allow the Sub-Committee, supported by its Legal Advisor, to deliberate and make its decision in private.

Having taken into account all submissions, the Sub-Committee then announced its decision.

The Sub Committee resolved to GRANT the street trading consent, for an initial period of 6 months from 1 May – 31 October 2016, subject to the standard conditions applicable to street trading consents.  The Sub-Committee resolved to delegate to Licensing Officers the authority to extend the trading consent for a further 6 month period provided that the applicant’s trading record was satisfactory in the initial 6 months of the street trading consent.

The Chair reminded Mr Shihadeh (applicant) of the expectation on street traders to take up the consents and contribute to the existence of a vibrant commercial environment in the city.

A letter confirming the Sub-Committee’s decision will be sent to the applicant.

Minutes from 20 April 2015

Recommendation: That the minutes of the meeting held on 20 April 2015 be APPROVED as a true and accurate record.

The Sub-Committee resolved to APPROVE the minutes of the meeting held on 20 April 2015 as a true and accurate record.

The Sub Committee is scheduled to meet, if required, on the following dates:

23 May 2016

20 June 2016

11 July 2016

1 August 2016

22 August 2016

12 September 2016

4 October 2016

24 October 2016

14 November 2016

1 December 2016

The Sub-Committee NOTED that the dates of the future meetings (if required).