STREET traders who run the George Street Flower Rack are launching a campaign against Luton Borough Council’s decision to make them move their trailer every night.
Chris Biegala and his brother Andy Biegala, who have run the stall since February 2010, say that moving the trailer costs them around £300 a week in diesel and staff pay, making it impossible for them to make a profit.
At a Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Panel meeting on July 5, the Biegalas’ request to leave their trailer on their pitch overnight and to make use of the sides of the pitch for their flower display was refused.
Chris Biegala said: “It’s completely impossible to run a small business like this with such restrictions. One of the reasons the council gave for the decision was that the trailer is unsightly. We do not dispute that and we want to invest in a new trailer but that will cost around £5,000 so we can’t invest in that until we have made more money.”
Andy Biegala said: “There have been flower stalls on this pitch in the past and I imagine they had the same problems as us. It’s just not profitable to take the trailer home every night, and it means another lorry is causing congestion on the roads. As for displaying the flowers, if we don’t have them all on display like this we don’t sell as many and it’s not as if they don’t look nice.
“The council say our trailer is an eyesore but when I look around the street at the state of some of the other buildings I don’t see how that can be a valid argument. Nobody cares about the night time street scene.”
When the Biegala brothers first heard about the council’s objections they started a petition which received 104 signatures in two days and now they intend to launch a full campaign, as they believe other street traders are struggling with similar problems.
Andy said: “The council has shown a complete lack of creativity in this matter.
“You would expect them to want to encourage businesses and to try and work with them. This is a total fob off, they just want us out of their hair and to move onto something more interesting. There’s been no real desire to find a solution.”
A council spokesperson said: “The application requesting non-removal of the street trading trailer and the use of space opposite and to the side of the current pitch was refused for the following reasons: adverse impact on the street scene, obstruction of the highway, structure of the trailer, and if the trailer were left overnight on a permenant basis it could attract an undesirable element overnight when the trailer is unattended.”
