‘Council apology made’ over street trader licence
A MOBILE knitwear trader says the council has apologised to her for “not implementing instructions” from the local sheriff regarding her street trader’s licence.
Dr Mary Macgregor, who runs the company BAKKA and sells goods from a van, said she complained to Shetland Islands Council (SIC) about the “unfair way in which she was treated” following the latest renewal of her street trader’s licence in April.
She said the council has now apologised and amended her trading licence after instructions from the sheriff following a court ruling in 2019.
Dr Macgregor took her case to Lerwick Sheriff Court on appeal back in 2019 after being denied a street trader’s licence over concerns about the proximity of her site to other shops selling goods of the “same or similar class and description”.
Sheriff Ian Cruickshank directed the SIC to give reconsideration to the licence application, which was ultimately approved by councillors for Charlotte Place and Burns Walk in Lerwick in 2020. It has since been renewed.
A spokesperson for Shetland Islands Council said in response: “To ensure that we comply with data protection legislation, we don’t publish the findings of investigations carried out under our complaints handling procedure.”
“We’re unable to comment on how the council handled an individual complaint,” they added.
However the SIC confirmed it is “undertaking a review of the licence conditions for street traders, and we hope to have a report before councillors for approval before the end of this financial year”.
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