Outrage as council plans to ban ice cream vans due to 'nuisance' trading
For many people enjoying an ice cream while on a walk through the park is one of the joys of summer - but one council has moved to ban vans selling the iced treat.
Greenwich Council has published a list of streets across Greenwich and Woolwich town centres where ice cream vans could be prohibited from trading.
The area proposed includes streets close to St Mary’s Gates, Royal Museums Greenwich and the Old Royal Naval College.
Documents show the list was created due to the “nuisance” and impact on public amenity, as well as potential air quality improvements due to reduced emissions from “idle engines”.
Roads close to the Cutty Sark are among those on the list (Getty Images)The decision on the street came after a complaint and two ombudsman enquiries had been received due to an ice cream trader selling there, according to My London.
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A representative from the Planning Inspectorate added in a report the queue from an ice cream van would have a negative impact as it would visually “clutter” the views of the surrounding attractions.
It claimed it would also create a “bottleneck” at the main entrance to the museums.
They said: “The partial screening and cluttering of views would adversely affect the enjoyment of visitors to this area as it would make the experience of this significant tourism attraction less pleasurable and it would make it more difficult for them to appreciate the significance and attractiveness of the area.”
The decision on the future of ice cream vans in the area will be decided at a cabinet meeting for Greenwich Council tomorrow.
The decision will be made tomorrow evening (Getty Images)The soon to be made decision baffled several people on social media.
One person said: “Stop ice cream vans in Greenwich, who have we got running these councils?
“Pollution levels, what a load of rubbish, depriving the kid's that what that is.”
It also sparked the ire of musicians Right Said Fred, who wrote: “Small businesses are constantly under attack.”
A council spokesman told MailOnline : 'We already welcome the trading of ice cream vans in hundreds of locations in the borough, but itinerant ice cream van trading - defined as trading from a vehicle which goes from place to place - can cause unacceptable levels of nuisance; as well as having negative impact on air quality from 'engine idling' in sensitive locations.
“This has already been restricted in some areas. The Council is currently reviewing its Street and Ice Cream Trading policy as required by the 'London Local Authorities Act 1990 (as amended)'.
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The draft update to be considered by Cabinet on 14th June adds two places where ice cream can lawfully be traded from via fixed locations throughout the day.”
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