Fury mounts as ice cream trucks face massive cost hike

Costs for ice cream van operators wanting to legally sell ice cream on the streets of Barnsley could rise dramatically by more than 4,000 per cent under new plans currently undergoing consultation, sparking fury from owners who claim the council has “gone back on previous promises”.

The Chronicle revealed last week that licensing officials were consulting on an overhaul of its street trading policy that could see an increase in ice cream vans’ current £250 fee for so-called “mobile consent”.

Those wishing to trade on city centre streets for a 12-month period will have to pay £14,560 under the new rules.

Six-month licences will cost £7,280 and three-month licences £3,640, while those wishing to operate outside the city centre will have to pay £10,920 for the full 12-month period.

Operator Sue Cairns – who works in Darfield and Thurnscoe – blasted the proposal, which comes just two months after operators successfully fought for an initial 400m no-go zone around schools to be reduced to 100m, which was agreed at a meeting of the ruling cabinet in June.

She said: “It is with a sense of injustice that I now find myself in the position of once again asking for the support of my community.

“My fellow ice cream traders and I, with the help of local councillors, had agreed the details of the policy and charges for our industry and this had already been approved by cabinet.

“However, at the final stage, a friend of mine, a mobile catering operator, raised an objection regarding the excessively high fees she would be charged for operating it.

“She previously thought she was classed as a ‘mobile’ like me and would be subject to the same fee for a licence – £250 – but I knew she wasn’t.

“I had a choice between remaining silent or insisting that she carefully examine the details of the proposed policy.

“I had the choice of being selfish, keeping quiet and enforcing the policy with the agreed conditions and £250 fee, or helping a fellow trader and friend.

“I chose the second option and my conscience is clear, but because of my decision to do the right thing, the powers that be are now ready to increase our rates and refuse to inform us of the figure they will come up with out of nowhere.

“It is only because I have spoken out and told the truth that I will be campaigning once again to maintain the already agreed amount of £250 which, we were told at the time, was enough to cover all the administrative costs.

“If standing up for what is right costs me and my business, so be it: I was raised to do what is right.”

An initial public consultation was held in February to gather views, which led to some proposals being amended – mainly the school restriction zone – due to negative reaction from ice cream truck operators.

However, owners now fear they will be put in the same category as vendors such as burger van operators, who face high costs.

Couple Les and Sarah Green, who together have more than 50 years of experience in the industry, have called the potential change “unfair”.

Sarah told the Chronicle: “Ice cream trucks are very different to burger trucks: we’re seasonal, so we have a smaller window to make money, our hours are much shorter and we can’t stay in one place for extended periods of time.

“These are the main reasons why we have different rates. It would therefore be unfair to put us in the same bracket.

“It’s all well and good to open a consultation period, but many people do not have essential information on the subject on which we are being consulted.

“We feel like we’ve been dragged down the same path as the June cabinet meeting, when everything seemed to be going well.”

Councillor Robin Franklin, cabinet spokesperson for regeneration and culture, confirmed the consultation was now open.

“We are consulting on our intention to make it illegal to trade on a street in the borough without a street trading permit from 1 April 2025.

“The adoption of this resolution will enable us to effectively manage and control street trading in the city centre, on the main streets of our ‘main cities’ and on our road network.

“Our Street Trading Policy, approved by Cabinet in June, provides a clear framework for licensing and regulating street trading, outlining the criteria applicants must meet and the fees they must pay to obtain a street trading licence.

“We are also reviewing this policy, including fees and charges, and welcome feedback from street traders and ice cream vendors in particular on this aspect.

“Feedback from residents and businesses during the consultation will be presented to cabinet, who will decide whether to move forward with the resolution and any amendments to the street trading policy.

“The resolution will then be taken at the plenary council next February.”