AN application for a burger van to be situated in the Market Place has attracted a mixed response from the community.
A street trading licence application for a 12ft catering trailer to be located in the Market Place area outside the Town Hall – trading seven days a week, between the hours of 12pm to 11pm – was submitted to Wiltshire Council in late October.
Melksham Town Council has objected to the plans, expressing their concerns about the location of the trailer and the lack of any parking; increase in litter; its impact on other similar businesses in the town; and a possible rise in public disorder.
And the town council’s concerns have been echoed by some local residents, but others have expressed their support for the Market Place to be used for “al-fresco” dining.
A consultation about the application ended on 25th November and a decision by Wiltshire Council is expected soon.
In their objection, the town council’s economic development and planning committee said, “The committee is concerned about this application on the following grounds:
“The applicant will be trading in close proximity to other food and beverage businesses and the street food trailer nature of his business will create an unfair advantage compared to established businesses in the Market Place area.
“The Market Place is a prime venue for markets, other community events and a high-quality gathering place for local people and visitors – and was designed as such. A street trading operation on the Market Place is not conducive to these established uses.
“Local people catch late buses to the town’s and community area’s residential areas from Market Place. Vulnerable people waiting for transport may feel intimidated by crowds gathered around the street trading operation.
“Granting this street trading licence would also create an unfortunate precedent in the town, where the Town Council’s priority is to support our established local food and beverage outlets.”
On local resident said, “The Melksham Market Place refurbishment cost a great deal of time and money, and the idea was at the finish that community events would be held, which they are from time to time, and have proved to be very popular. However, a burger bar with its smells, the resultant litter, the possible unruly behaviour of its customers who will be rolling out of local hostelries late in the evening can hardly be described as ‘a community event’.
“And of course there is a high risk of disturbance to local residents, many of them elderly, who will have to suffer the consequences, on top of the regular unacceptable behaviour we have had to tolerate for many years at closing time, often until the early hours of the morning.”
Another local person said, “We don’t need a burger van, end of. We should be looking at ideas to encourage people in to the town, not put them off. Support local businesses that are struggling, not bring in new ones. This is my opinion.”
In support of the Market Place being used for dining, one resident said, “(It would) be nice to see two or three street food outlets and a cafe to be honest – bring a vibe to the Market Place. They spent enough on the paved area, now fill it!”
Another said, “We went to Devizes and they have a few wooden benches to drink or eat your takeout at, it was well used as all the benches had people sat on them.”
