Seaside town's street trading ban to be discussed

A ban on street traders in a seaside town is due to be discussed at a council meeting on Monday.

Perranzabuloe Parish Council said it had prohibited street trading on the approach to Perranporth's beach to ensure "a fair and competitive business environment".

It follows an incident last summer when the parish council discovered it had no powers to remove a Cornwall Council licensed street trader selling T-shirts with what the council described as "a very offensive slogan" as it did not have a street trader policy, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Signs have gone up on land owned by the council saying street trading has been banned in the area.

Several businesses in Perranporth have offered space on their land for traders.

Julian Price, of Stoked Surf School, said street trading "feels like it's part of what Perranporth is".

He said he wanted to show "a bit of community spirit" if traders were "struggling".

Dan Waind, the landlord of the Steiners Arms, said street trading was "a kind of English Riviera seaside tradition".

He said he offered space at the pub car park as "we do not want to lose them."

The street trading policy, which was adopted in September 2024, said the ban on street trading included people providing services and aimed to "safeguard existing businesses in the high street, ensuring a fair and competitive business environment".

The parish council said it wanted to protect high street businesses "from unfair competition and to maintain the economic vibrancy of the local community".

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