Budgens food stalls closed down by Haringey - boo!

krappyrubsnif

I know this is over the hill but I'm sure this is of interest to many Stroud Greeners.    A big row is going on about the local food produce and craft stalls that regularly appear outside Budgens in Crouch End.    They are cheap to hire and Budgens more or less runs them as a community resource, and I know they're very popular with local people - home made jewellery, home-produced food, local artists and crafts, photographs of Crouch End, that sort of thing.<br><br>They're on Budgens land and properly administered.    Well grumpy old Haringey has decided this is one Budgens initiative it wants to stifle and some overpaid, over-zealous officer has found some by-law or other to enforce against against it.  They've been closed down.  Budgens is putting up a fight, and getting a lot of support, but even if the stalls do open up again they'll probably be much more expensive to hire, so defeating the whole object.  Watch out for imported Chinese jewellery and tacky sweat shirts, not genuine local stuff.<br><br>Do the expressions red tape, pointless bureaucracy and jobsworths spring to mind?<br><br>Anyway, there's a lively discussion on the Other Site here. Thought some people might be interested in how or council approaches the notion of 'community':<br><br>http://www.harringayonline.com/forum/topics/council-force-closure-of-community-stall-outside-budgens-crouch-e?id=844301:Topic:373925&amp;page=1#comments&lt;br&gt;

Brodiej

Pretty sure this decision has now been reversed by the council having been publicly shamed.

miss annie

The news is that the stalls can operate but now a £21 fee has to be paid to the council by each trader. This makes a brilliant affordable community option the same price as stalls at bigger markets. Boo! indeed.

krappyrubsnif

Annie, is this in addition to the small fee charged by Budgens?    I imagine so.      I can understand that Budgens needs to charge a fee since they employ a full-time administrator to run the scheme.  The council just does bugger all and collects the money.  Double-boo!<br>

miss annie

Yes, it's an additional fee. Those stalls are a great idea and are a fabulous place to for small or new craftspeople and food producers to test the waters and build custom. They were worth every penny of the small fee that Budgens charge.

Ali

How small is the  udgen fee if it is suuporting someone to run admin of it ?

miss annie

It was about £7 last time I did it. Ana, the lady who does the admin, is not a full time employee, she does it on an ad hoc basis along with lots of other things.

crispy

shame on the council!!<br><br>and, although I recently defected and moved there, i like krappyrubsniff's "over the hill" to describe crotch end!<br><br>Crispy,<br>OTH<br>

anarem

Prices start from £10 to and go up to £30. We don't charge charities or not for profits. I earn commission only and the rest of stall holder's fees goes to Pennies for Plastic who have been helping a few local charities and projects. I hope this answers some questions. Ana

krappyrubsnif

Off subject here, but can't resist coming back on Crispy's use of 'Crotch End'.   The new Italian restaurant just up from the Old Dairy has a nice one - its printed menu gives the address as 'Crunch Hill'.<br><br>Crispy bruschetta, anyone?<br>

Brodiej

<P>Hamlet cafe's vegetarian offering is listed under the header "Vegetation"</P> <P>I do like a spelling mistake or misinterpretation in a menu. In Hamlet you could be eating a delicious hedge.</P>

Ali

<P>Well done Ana.</P> <P> </P> <P>It must cost the council more to process the fees than it collects !</P> <P> </P> <P>Where  are the LibDem councilors on this one ?</P>

miss annie

I had a reply to my tweet to David Lammy but deathly silence from Lynne Featherstone.

chrisst

Thanks Ana. What a good community contribution from Budgens. <div><br></div><div>Shame on Haringey council: next they'll be charging toddlers for selling lemonade outside their houses in summer.</div>

Detritus

What was the verdict on this? <a href="http://www.stroudgreen.org/discussion/3493/do-i-need-a-permit-to-set-up-a-stall-selling-homemade-lemonade-cakes-and-bakes-in-my-front-garden/p1">http://www.stroudgreen.org/discussion/3493/do-i-need-a-permit-to-set-up-a-stall-selling-homemade-lemonade-cakes-and-bakes-in-my-front-garden/p1</a>;

anarem

<p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; line-height: 15px; font-size: 12px; position: static !important; min-height: 1em; color: rgb(42, 44, 42); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Grande', Arial, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Got a meeting at the council tomorrow about this £21 per day fee. See if we can get a free license instead or at least a reduced fee.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; line-height: 15px; font-size: 12px; position: static !important; min-height: 1em; color: rgb(42, 44, 42); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Grande', Arial, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Wish me luck </p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 15px; font-size: 12px; position: static !important; min-height: 1em; color: rgb(42, 44, 42); font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Grande', Arial, sans-serif; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Ana</p>