Greenwich Council Ordered to Reassess Ice Cream Trading Policy
A court has instructed Greenwich Council to revisit its ice cream trading rules after a public consultation was deemed inadequate
Greenwich, UK, Ice Cream, Council, Public Consultation
Greenwich: So, there’s been some drama in Greenwich over ice cream trading. A court just told the local council to take another look at their policy about selling ice cream near King William Walk, right by Greenwich Park.
They had put this area on a list where ice cream selling was banned, which was part of a decision made back in December 2023. But one ice cream seller, Paul St Hilaire Sr, wasn’t having it. He’s been selling ice cream there for over 30 years and decided to fight back.
The council argued that the spot wasn’t suitable for ice cream sales because it’s a sensitive area, being a World Heritage Site and all. But the judge, Sarah Turnock, found that the council didn’t follow the right legal steps when they made their decision. So, she told them to go back to the drawing board and consult the public again.
Paul St Hilaire Jr, speaking for his dad, expressed some frustration. He said it’s a shame that they had to go through all this legal hassle, which costs the public money. He pointed out that while the council allows a Royal Museums ice cream van to operate, they’ve been trying to block his dad from selling ice cream for years.
The court hearing happened last August, but the decision only came to light recently. Now, the council has agreed to follow the court’s order and will re-run the consultation and review their policy.
The judge noted that the council messed up by not including a draft of the new policy in their public notice, which left Mr. St Hilaire in the dark about what was going on. It seems like his input at council meetings wasn’t even considered.
Interestingly, back in 2015, a court had already told Greenwich Council to give Mr. St Hilaire a street trading license for that same area, showing he had been trading there without any issues.
The council is worried that ice cream queues could block the narrow pavements, making it tough for pedestrians, especially the elderly and those with strollers. But it turns out they’ve spent over £52,000 on legal fees for this case, and now more public money will be needed to sort it all out.
Mr. St Hilaire Sr has said that selling ice cream is how he supports his seven kids. The judge has kept the ice cream ban in place until a new decision is made, with a consultation running until February 3. We should see an updated report on this in March.