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Newquay Town Council and partners allocate pitches to street traders in the town centre

Newquay Town Council has been working with Newquay BID, Cornwall Council, Devon & Cornwall Police and Cormac to ensure that street traders are operating safely in Newquay’s Town Centre.

Street trading is not something that the Town Council and its partners are able to control. However, in order to prevent the obstructions that have been occurring since lockdown measures have been relaxed, few locations have been identified where street traders will be advised to go to minimise the impact on the high-street. To be clear these locations in no way suggest street trading is welcome or that these locations are designated for such activities – they are simply places where obstructions to pedestrian flow would be reduced.

Inspector Guy Blackford from Devon & Cornwall Police commented: “There is very little that local agencies can do with henna tattooists and hair braiders in terms of them seeking permission to set up a pitch. They fall outside of the street trading laws and as such cannot be required to obtain formal consent from the Council.

If street traders are causing an obstruction it is possible for them to be moved to an alternative pitch. However, under the current regulations more than 6 people are allowed to gather outdoors and there is provision for gatherings that are “reasonably necessary for work purposes.”

Cornwall Councillor Geoff Brown commented: “We recognise that street traders are an element of our vibrant high street but in these strange and challenging times we all need to make changes in order to keep everyone safe. I would urge street traders to consider their own operation and accept that the changes requested will help everyone to continue to trade safely.”

Mayor of Newquay, Louis Gardner, commented: “Whilst we as residents may not all be fans of the street traders in town, they are an unavoidable part of the Newquay tourist season and are popular with visitors to the town. While the law does not support the regulation of this industry, we must all work together to ensure that they are managed in the best way possible for the safety of everyone in town. Addressing this issue is just one aspect, along with A-board regulation, outdoor seating placement and the placement of bins and other street furniture, that we are looking at to enable social distancing within the town.”

Andy Curtis, Town Clerk of Newquay explained: “Small blue dots in the Town (additional to the arrows) have been spray painted to identify where street traders will be advised to operate from. The street traders will be asked to be at-least 1m behind the blue dot facing the high street. If at any point the blue dot is obscured and can no longer be seen due to the amount of pedestrians in that area, then the street trader will be required to move on, to ensure they are not causing an obstruction.”

The locations decided include next to Superdry, in front of the empty shops on Bank Street and at the bottom of Marcus Hill.

The hope for Newquay Town Council and its partners is that these measures will improve social distancing in Newquay’s Town Centre, making the Town safer to work, live and visit. If residents have any thoughts or constructive feedback on the above, please contact the Town Council at office@newquay.town.

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