St Ives by-law stops shops from putting displays on pavements

A new by-law means shopkeepers in an area of a Cornish resort are no longer allowed to put their merchandise on pavements.

A public space protection order came into force in St Ives on 1 April, and also impacts unlicensed traders and buskers.

The town council hopes the rules will regulate activities in the town and in particular the harbour front.

But some shop owners said they were "not impressed".

Shops which use the pavement outside their premises, on Wharf Road, which is in front of the harbour, could be fined £100 under the new rules.

The order was brought in by Cornwall Council on 1 October 2021, and came into force from 1 April 2022 at the start of the tourism season, St Ives Town Council confirmed.

Councillor Johnnie Wells said the by-law was also about targeting advertising boards and there were 84 in one area last summer which was a "bit of a safety hazard when people have to walk around them".

He said the intention was not to penalise traders.

Andrew Mitchell, Cornwall councillor for St Ives West and Towednack, said he wanted the plans to "work for everybody".

"It's a new law, but we need to make sure that it's working for everybody. I would hope that it's a living, developing situation here in St Ives."

Joanna Hatton, who owns three gift shops on the harbour front, said: "I'm not very impressed. I don't think they [the plans] have been very well thought out.

"I'm going to lose a lot of my business."

Jane Friggins, who owns a deli on Wharf Road, said she used to place her fruit and vegetables on the pavement, but has now had to move them.

She said: "I know there are worse things in the world and it feels crazy talking about it but it's really annoying."

But, Sarah Leadbetter, campaigns manager at the National Federation of the Blind, said: "Pavements should be a safe place.

"You just can't get round it. It's dangerous especially if it's a big one [merchandise display], and you're walking into it and you injure yourself."

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