The report associated with this item was circulated to all members with the agenda for the 11 January 2024 Environment and Sustainability Committee.

Following Full Council approval in June 2023 to commence the process of designating Guildford Street, Chertsey as a Licence Street to enable opportunities for markets and events, a consultation exercise had been undertaken, which had yielded no response from the police or public, and no issues identified from Surrey County Council as highways authority.

The Committee were therefore asked to recommend to the next Full Council meeting that Guildford Street, at the junction of Riverdell close and Heriot Road, and the junction that meets Windsor Street and London Road, be designated as a Licence Street.

The committee were supportive of the proposal and positive about the impact on the local economy of regular markets and the vibrancy this would create.

Responding to questions about the possibility of setting up similar arrangements in Addlestone town centre, it was advised that the design of Addlestone was more complex and would likely require a road closure order for Station Road, impacting bus routes and businesses.  Smaller-scale markets had been possible on previous occasions as they took place outside the Civic Centre on land owned by the Council.  It was therefore the intention to focus on Chertsey and consider other locations options at a later date when the full impact could be better understood.

The terms and conditions for market operators would be updated and presented to a future committee, but it was confirmed that the vast majority of professional market operators were extremely ethical in their processes and this would be a major consideration in the vetting process.

It was resolved that the following be recommended to the Council:

That the Council resolves that:

1.    All previous resolutions of the Council made pursuant to paragraph 2 of Schedule 4 to the Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1982 (the Act) be hereby rescinded

2.    Pursuant to Paragraph 2 of Schedule 4 to the Act, that as from the date when this resolution takes effect, all areas of land within the Borough of Runnymede which are “streets” within the definition of that term contained in Paragraph 1 of Schedule 4 to the Act shall be designated as prohibited streets with the exception of any streets referred to in resolution 3 below.

3.    The streets and parts of streets set out below be designated as Consent Streets and Licence Streets, as defined in Schedule 4 to the Act:

Consent Streets

·         Broadway, New Haw - at the eastern service road adjacent to the street from the northern boundary of the Black Prince Public House for a distance of fifteen (15) metres in a northerly direction

Licence Streets

·         High Street, Egham

·         Station Road North, Egham

·         Guildford Street, at the junction of Riverdell close and Heriot Road, and the junction that meets Windsor Street and London Road

After the Environment and Sustainability Committee met, officers identified the need to set a commencement date for the proposals.  An additional recommendation for the Council has therefore been added:

4.    The designation comes into effect on 30 March 2024.

It was proposed (by Councillor Coen), seconded (by Councillor Cunningham) and resolved that:

1.    All previous resolutions of the Council, made pursuant to paragraph 2 of Schedule 4 to the Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1982 (the Act), be rescinded.

2.    Pursuant to Paragraph 2 of Schedule 4 to the Act, that as from the date on which this resolution takes effect, all areas of land within the Borough of Runnymede which were “streets” within the definition of that term contained in Paragraph 1 of Schedule 4 to the Act, be designated as prohibited streets with the exception of any streets referred to in resolution 3 below.

3.    The streets and parts of streets set out below be designated as Consent Streets and Licence Streets, as defined in Schedule 4 to the Act:

Consent Streets – Broadway, New Haw - at the eastern service road adjacent to the street from the northern boundary of the Black Prince Public House for a distance of fifteen (15) metres in a northerly direction

Licence Streets – High Street, Egham; Station Road North, Egham; Guildford Street, at the junction of Riversdell Close and Heriot Road, and the junction that meets Windsor Street and London Road.

4.    The designation come into effect on 30 March 2024.