Mobile ice cream street trader consent (ice cream van)

Unit design

Good display is an important part of the selling process and top quality presentation encourages purchase and benefits the retailers’ reputation. It is in the best interest of traders to produce a high quality design both internally and externally in their unit. 

The function of the unit is to identify the trader and add vitality and colour to the immediate area, and reflect the quality, cleanliness in their operation. The unit must contribute to the appearance of the area for good or bad, so design matters to everyone who uses the street, as well as the operator.

As such:

• stalls must enhance the visual appearance of the street rather than detract from it and be constructed in a suitable style and of appropriate materials
• examples of acceptable designs include: modern, simple, functional stalls with umbrellas, canopies or striped awnings and traditional or ‘period’ type handcarts, barrows or tricycles
• the stall design should be fully accessible for all customers
• the outside of the unit will be limited to the name of the stall, the type of product sold and a simple price list. Ad hoc pictures and advertiser’s slogans should be avoided, as should untidy handwritten signs
• advertisements on stalls will not be permitted without our permission in writing and subject to further conditions. We will decide what is an acceptable advertisement
• sign writing and scrollwork must be finished to an acceptable standard
• the general design of the unit must meet our requirements for the location and proposed hours or days of trading – photograph of the actual unit or proposed model must be submitted on application
• bright colours and a sense of fun are encouraged
• pitched and curved roofs are encouraged
• canopies must be maintained and cleaned
• the internal layout of the unit must be clean and to a high standard
• non-motorised vehicles (carts or barrows) are encouraged in pedestrian areas, such as shopping areas like Woodseats and Hillsborough
• mobile trading vans must have a side hatch to serve customers
• the unit / vehicle must be clearly identifiable as a trader

Environmental Health considerations of the unit design

For Enclosed Food units the internal arrangements must be such that:

• there is suitable and sufficient hand washing facilities with hot water
• the work surfaces are impervious to water and easy to clean
• there is sufficient compliant temperature controlled food storage facilities appropriate to the business
• the gas and electrical installations are certificated and deemed to be safe by a competent and suitably qualified engineer. Any gas store cupboard should be outside the food area
• the external arrangements must be that the mobile is sufficiently weather and pest proof so as to not risk the contamination of the food

For Market-Stall or Street-Barrow type food units:

• the stall must be covered to prevent the risk of matter falling on to the food
• the work surfaces likely to be in contact with the food must be impervious to water and easy to clean
• any intrinsic storage food area must be able to be secured against intrusion by pests
• if temperature controlled food is to be stored on the mobile, the storage facility shall be capable of maintaining the food in a legally compliant manner
• there must be adequate hand washing facilities

Food Hygiene record (for all food stalls) – all food regulations have been adhered to. You will need to demonstrate that:

• you have registered with your local authority
• all food handlers have received adequate food safety training appropriate to their job role
•  the food business has a legally compliant Food Safety Management System (such as Safer Food or Better Business)
• your business has a food hygiene rating score of at least 3
• if there is a history of non-compliance you must show that it has been addressed and accepted by the Food Safety Enforcing Officer, or that the food business is in the process of addressing the issues and the Food Safety Officer does not consider the defect too severe so as to prohibit the food business from trading

Dress:

• the trader and their assistants must be identifiable (such as wear a uniform)
• the style of dress worn by stall operators should be chosen to complement the style and period of the unit
• over clothing must always be smart and clean. Operators of food stalls should ensure that sufficient changes of clothes are provided so as to enable personnel to always wear over clothing, which is clean
• personal cleanliness is also important and persons employed at food stalls are required to have good personal hygiene

General:

• vehicles used to tow trailers must be parked legally at all times
• we reserve the right to not renew any consent where if we consider that product/s offered by the operator are not in keeping with the requirements of the site
• the goods complement and do not conflict with the goods sold by other retailers within their proposed area(s)

This criteria is intended to guide applicants for street trading consents as to the type of stall and dress, which we are looking to promote as a means of regulating the street trading.

It is not intended to exclude any design that does not fall within the examples given.