Council to review 'stealth tax' trading fees

Established weekly markets in Stockton (pictured), Thornaby and Billingham are exempt

Council leaders say they acknowledge the need to make street trading fees "fairer" after a petition calling for changes gathered more than 1,000 signatures.

The current policy in Stockton-on-Tees came into force in March last year but has been branded a "stealth tax" with warnings it inadvertently penalises community events and hits fundraising efforts.

The local authority made the whole borough a "consent area" meaning anyone wanting to sell goods on a street needs permission with fees from £100 to £2,140.

The petition asks the council, run by a Labour minority, to "exempt all community events", listing examples such as a community market and Christmas lights swich-on at Ingleby Barwick.

Established weekly markets in Stockton, Thornaby and Billingham are exempt, as is trading at events "where the traders make no commercial gain" and all profits go back into a charity or association, and non-profit fundraising at events like church events and school festivals.

However, other markets and events need consent because they have commercial traders.

'Protect the public'

The petition was presented to a full council meeting with Labour councillor Norma Stephenson, cabinet member for access, communities and community safety, saying she backed referring the matter to the licensing committee for a review of some aspects.

Councillor Norma Stephenson backed referring the matter to Stockton's licensing committee for a review

She told colleagues: "I want to be clear that I don't think this petition is about exemptions of local and community markets, but making it fairer. And we need to make it fairer.

"We need to protect the public, because if we don't have a street licensing policy, anybody can sell anything they like, there'll be no trading standards, there'll be no appropriate people.

"We also need to think about our market traders who pay on a day-by-day basis to have a pitch."

Councillors agreed to refer the matter back to the licensing committee.

Independent councillor Ted Strike, who represents Ingleby Barwick North, previously spoke against the policy, branding it a "betrayal" of community events and an unnecessary "stealth tax" which threatened local markets.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he hoped the licensing committee would "do the right thing" and not penalise community events.