Eat Street should stay, Launceston Chamber of Commerce says.
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Chamber executive Neil Grose said he would encourage the City of Launceston to be proactive.
“We would strongly encourage [the] council to take a very proactive business approach and to look to create that entrepreneurial spirit to it, rather than over-regulate it,” Mr Grose said.
The claims come after the council discussed the operations of mobile food vans at its strategic planning and policy committee meeting on Monday. The council said it does support food vans operating on High Street.
Mr Grose said the council was “just considering its position”.
“There is nothing actually happening at the moment,” Mr Grose said.
He had “no doubt” that Eat Street has had a positive impact on the community.
“It would be sad to see it disappear [and] absolutely it shouldn’t.”
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On Sunday, resident Sebastian Booth started a petition to stop food van regulations. The petition received about 1800 signatures in less than 24 hours.
With plans to deliver the petition to the council, Mr Booth said the rules and regulations against food vans had gone too far.
“This petition is for the people of Launceston, demanding that the rules and regulations be remanded and to be fair and just,” he said.
City of Launceston said it supported food vans operating along High Street, but general manager Michael Stretton said there were some issues that needed addressing.
“There are several aspects that need to be discussed, such as safety of pedestrians crossing High Street, speed limits, sight distances for vehicular traffic and the capacity of council to maintain the grass in the area,” he said.
“I just want to reiterate that council strongly supports the idea of food vans. Anyone who frequents High Street of an evening will know that they bring a sense of vibrancy to the area and of course we want to see that vibrancy flourish."
He said there would be an opportunity for food vans in the Northbank project due to come out in 2018.
“We firmly believe that the food vans should be left to operate in the area with only the minimum regulation.”
Alderman Rob Soward, on his Facebook page, said the council had a “good discussion” at the meeting.
“Today was simply a discussion with a reworked report coming to council for further consideration,” he said.
Mr Stretton said the council had invested in infrastructure upgrades to support the vans at High Street. The draft interim mobile food van policy will go to council at its ordinary meeting on October 30.