Council to allow some beach trading to continue

The council said any beach service applicant must hold public liability insurance, have an enhanced DBS check and be risk assessed

A parish council in Cornwall has agreed to backtrack on a policy banning all seasonal seafront traders.

Perranzabuloe Parish Council has agreed to allow "beach services" - such as hair braiders, henna tattooists and face painters - to continue trading on certain conditions.

The council had announced a ban on all street trading on the approach to Perranporth beach to ensure "a fair and competitive business environment".

But at the end of a public discussion on Monday, it said it would grant a limited number of licences to beach traders.

Members of the finance and operations committee agreed that three licences per year would be allowed, which must be applied for each year in advance with operators based within zoned areas.

The licences would be granted before 1 April for traders to operate from June to the middle of September.

Any applicant must hold public liability insurance, have an enhanced DBS check and be risk assessed.

Further details are set to be discussed at a full council meeting on 24 March, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

'Valuable'

Councillor Rob Cooke, who is not on the finance committee, spoke as a member of the public.

He said: "I believe that they [street traders] do offer a service to the community and to our visitors which is valuable."

Perranporth resident Rory Jenkins added: "The sentiment I get is a lot of people are saying this is part of the experience and they would like some traders to be there.

"My two seven-year-old kids think it's epic to go down and get a temporary tattoo, and it's part of that summer experience."

'Irritating'

Councillor Alan Bowers said the biggest health and safety aspect was that hair braiders currently based themselves near a gate needed by emergency vehicles to access beach.

He stressed it was important the access was maintained.

Councillor Frances White agreed, and said: "I've always been very worried about this trading because it's blocking those entrances to our beach for bicycles, disabled people and prams.

"I have found that more irritating than anything."