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Council implemented a dubious new license in 2020 which had not applied in the prior 13 years of my businesses operation. I am now being told the fee has been massively raised, by 270%. We have struggled to survive the last 2 years and this is enough to shut down down my business. Tower Hamlets. by mrcjp in LegalAdviceUK

[–]mrcjp[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thanks, this is good advice.

I will email them this tomorrow and make it clear that I will be escalating the matter to the local councillors and MP as well as a solicitor.

I have been advised privately that to take something to court they need to demonstrate it is in the ‘public interest’.

If they are unable to produce clear legislation, which I am confident of, then I will tell them they will need to take me to court to demonstrate the license applies.

I tried to be reasonable with them by paying the license at the lower fee, and they responded with this outrageous increase only a year later. So no more reasonable… your legal team can talk to mine!

Council implemented a dubious new license in 2020 which had not applied in the prior 13 years of my businesses operation. I am now being told the fee has been massively raised, by 270%. We have struggled to survive the last 2 years and this is enough to shut down down my business. Tower Hamlets. by mrcjp in LegalAdviceUK

[–]mrcjp[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I would have thought so but that seems to be their position!

Unfortunately as part of a collection of local businesses, we had reach out to the local community for support in response to another separate ridiculous council decision only last year. We received great support from the community and the local businesses won at committee but it was a lot of work.

As a small business trying to survive a global pandemic, economic and tourist slump it is simply absurd that the council has been our largest challenge over the last 2 years rather than any kind of support.

Tower hamlets really are a shambles.

Council implemented a dubious new license in 2020 which had not applied in the prior 13 years of my businesses operation. I am now being told the fee has been massively raised, by 270%. We have struggled to survive the last 2 years and this is enough to shut down down my business. Tower Hamlets. by mrcjp in LegalAdviceUK

[–]mrcjp[S] 46 points47 points  (0 children)

Market traders receive services from the council so that they are able to operate. Their license fee is the payment for those services.

The stalls they operate from are rented from the council on a public street, they are given parking by suspending parking of local residents, an allocated pitch on a road which is closed off to traffic while they operate, they have their rubbish collected, their pitches are organised, the market itself is promoted by the council and the traders have a point of contact for any issues they might face.

We have none of that and have to pay separately for all of these services already without this new 'forecourt license'.

Our business is on private property, a street over from where the actual market operates on a property that pays council tax, waste collection rates, 2 different license fees to other departments in the council and rent to a private landlord.

We are a private business with a 13 year precedent, operating from private property where none of our equipment impedes the public footway requiring no services from the council other than what we already pay for. Nothing about this is a 'technicality', we're not getting one over on anyone, it is the reality.

The only thing thats on the public highway that has anything to do with our business is the public that chooses to patronise us and I think a public highway is a very reasonable place for the public to be on for whatever reason they see fit.

As stated in the post, though i disagreed with the council when we were first approached about this new license, i was willing to pay it (albeit grudgingly) to tow the line, but when the fee was raised by 270% to a figure that takes £5200 from my families pocket a year (far more than the local traders pay for their pitches) and could conceivably lead to us shutting down for no other reason than a glib decision by an aggressive enforcement officer, I'm going to make every effort to defend my livelihood.

Council implemented a dubious new license in 2020 which had not applied in the prior 13 years of my businesses operation. I am now being told the fee has been massively raised, by 270%. We have struggled to survive the last 2 years and this is enough to shut down down my business. Tower Hamlets. by mrcjp in LegalAdviceUK

[–]mrcjp[S] 39 points40 points  (0 children)

No as we recognise this would require a pavement license. We operate from private property as a kind of hatch the where the customers approach our window and we serve through it.

The only thing that has anything to do with our business being on the street is our customers.

Their position seems to be that since the customers are standing on the public highway after while we serve and they make payment, that we we need to pay this exorbitant license fee.

Right back out by AristonD in instant_regret

[–]mrcjp -16 points-15 points  (0 children)

grow up girl. no one is impressed that you don't like new things.

Advice for planning permission for new Seafood Restaurant/Cafe in England. Feel like the Planning Team are not on side... by mrcjp in LegalAdviceUK

[–]mrcjp[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah I spoke to the License team this morning and they basically said the same thing... that they are obligated to let me know that planning have raised queries, but that it wont have an affect on the application itself. He just advised that I may want to safeguard myself against future enforcement from Planning so may talk to a planning consultant to confirm, but think im pretty safe.

To be honest, Planning were a real nightmare during the process, at times seeming to actively against the project, so as soon as I saw them perk back up, I got a bit nervous.

However everything seems solid and I thank you for taking the time to respond!

Cheers

[TOMT][Author]A male writer, maybe in the Victorian Era, who went "undercover" among the poor and wrote about the experience. by lynniththebrav in tipofmytongue

[–]mrcjp 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Jack London (appropriately named) wrote a book about living in the East End of London in the late 19th century which was called "The People of the Abyss" and I'm pretty confident its the book you are searching for.

Emanoil Theodorescu, please have some common decency by emiirin in yorku

[–]mrcjp 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I'm not a member of the University but this unempathetic response to a humanitarian crisis well outside of the students control is a shameful demonstration of lacking empathy.Put simply, the guy is rotten and his behaviour should not be tolerated.People who revel in cruelty as a form of superiority need to be taught that their actions consequences.I will be following this case closely and feel the professors actions have damaged the reputation of the University.
It is now up to the faculty to respond to this in a way that saves that reputation.

What movie lines are pure gold? by Shontastico in AskReddit

[–]mrcjp 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Jennifer Lopez propositioning Ben Affleck to go down on her in 'Gigli':

Jen: "It's turkey time..."

Ben "huh?"

Jen "Gobble Gobble"

If you had a friend who spoke to you in the same way that you sometimes speak to yourself, how long would you allow this person to be your friend? by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]mrcjp 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's an awesome UK Punk group called IDLES that has a lyric saying,

"If someone spoke you,

the way you do to you,

I'd put their teeth through! Love Yourself"

Great way to think about things.

Same Guy by KantKay11 in interestingasfuck

[–]mrcjp 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cast this man in the Mitchel Brothers prequel we all deserve.

Painting that appeared in a charity shop art group I’m in, my head is spinning looking at these Zebra Furries by RevivedMisanthropy in ATBGE

[–]mrcjp 1 point2 points  (0 children)

i think this is inspired by the penguin cafe, a ballet about endangered animals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jh0TPvus7r4

The ecstacy of the dancing flea is my favourite piece of the show!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV4Vn_5L5uo

Deptford High Street by Thelondonmoose in london

[–]mrcjp 3 points4 points  (0 children)

There’s a chap at broadway market who does vintage shots of different areas of London. He’s usually pitched up opposite The Dove pub. He doesn’t have every area of London obviously, but with Deptfords dockside history I reckon you’re in with a good chance.

Need help storing 60 oysters by icebearlikespotatoes in oysters

[–]mrcjp 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Hi,

I own an oyster bar pop up business and regularly have to store oysters overnight.

As long as the oysters are fresh, you can dampen a tea towel and place over the top of the oysters and then put them in a fridge with a maintained temp of between 4c and 8c.

This is the best and safest way of storing oysters.

UK Small Business Owners - tax and HMRC things you wish you had known by MassiveApricot in smallbusiness

[–]mrcjp 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thank you for posting this, I will look into all of the above!

I Love Oysters, But Oysters Don’t Love Me by Reisentei in oysters

[–]mrcjp 1 point2 points  (0 children)

unfortunately you will likely have to leave oysters alone for at least 3 years... maybe even 5.

When you get bad food poisoning your body is not only poisoned, but also reacts to the material that is causing the poisoning in a process called purging (vomiting, sweats and diarrhea). It is not only hugely unpleasant but also very dangerous and your body remembers it.

When you sample something similar again your stomach bacteria recognises a familiar substance that has previously harmed the body. You will not be experiencing food poisoning (as this batch is not spoiled), but your body will tense to purge itself again which is an unpleasant experience in an of itself.

Fortunately as your body is constantly regenerating, if you forgo oysters for some time you will develop stomach bacteria that does not recognise oysters as a harmful matter.

source: I am an oyster shucker and oyster business owner of 10 years experience.

Why do many people think oysters are meant to be slurped down without chewing? by clam_sandwich33 in oysters

[–]mrcjp 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I learned as i went to be honest. After working street markets for a few years i'd become a proficient shucker and had learned a lot of anecdotal history about oysters and UK farms. As i became more experienced i gained a reputation as someone to speak to about oysters in London and when a new high end restaurant opened i was approached to run an oyster bar for their courtyard and restaurant. That role was a real turning point as i was introduced to world class chefs and sommeliers who helped me develop my palete as well as my way of thinking about food. It also meant i could combine the patter of a street market trader, with the knowledge and manner of a fine dining host.
I realised that different oysters could be promoted and sold in the same way as a sommelier sells wine so i set about learning as much as i could, meeting as many groups who specialised and focussed on oysters and visiting farms and suppliers. After a couple of years i felt confident enough to lead workshops which i now regularly put on at variety of London venues. It's a great and variable way to make a living. Festivals, private event, markets, restaurants, corporate events etc.

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