Sheffield Council defers decision on hazardous ice cream van stop as not enough councillors show up
Sheffield Council was forced to defer a decision on an ice cream van locals worry is a hazard to school children because not enough councillors turned up to vote.
Councillors on the sub-licensing committee were due to make a decision on whether an ice cream vendor could keep his spot outside a school after a child was hit by a car there.
But the meeting was deferred due to attendance.
Samantha Bond, legal adviser to the committee, said: “Unfortunately the committee this morning won’t be able to go ahead…It doesn’t have sufficient members to be able to hear the case and therefore it will be deferred to another date at the earliest opportunity.”
Paul Grayson’s licence to sell ice cream outside Birley Primary Academy, on Thornbridge Avenue, was up for renewal.
But Dawn McAughey, headteacher of the school, Clive Betts, MP for Sheffield South East, and Lauren Spacie, of South Yorkshire Police, all objected.
The objectors were concerned about congestion, parking and the safety of pupils at busy times and all referred to an incident where a pupil was hit by a car on March 10 in their comments.
Council officers said the pupil was struck when they walked around the ice cream van to cross the road.
A licensing enforcement officer at the council investigated the incident and found the trader was parked legally but both the school and South Yorkshire Police believed the incident would not have happened if the ice cream van was parked elsewhere.
Officers added: “It reduced visibility for anyone crossing the road.
“As this is a legal parking space without any road traffic regulations in place, this could be a problem for any larger vehicles parked there.”
The council is now looking at whether parking restrictions should be put in place at the spot, which would force the vendor out.
MORE POLITICS: Sheffield Council ‘ludicrous’ funding delay leaves libraries anxious about future – and some may close
Mr Grayson has worked closely with council officers to find an alternative location but there is no suitable site in the area.
This meant it was left to the committee to move the case forward.