A council has unanimously voted to ban ice cream vans from a tourist hotspot amid fears for public safety.
The decision affects a popular tourist area in south-east London where mobile ice cream vendors have operated for years.
Greenwich Council has now officially designated King William Walk near Greenwich Park as prohibited for itinerant ice cream trading.
During a recent full council meeting, Councillor Jackie Smith presented safety findings from a court-ordered consultation and proposed the ban.
A council has unanimously voted to ban ice cream vans from King William Walk near Greenwich Park, citing concerns about pedestrian safety and environmental health
She said that "unregulated trading" raised concerns about pedestrian safety, environmental health and "the preservation of the area's historic character".
The council emphasised it was not against ice cream sales generally, but specifically opposed vans operating on King William Walk due to the "potential danger to pedestrians" from queuing on the busy thoroughfare.
The ban follows a protracted legal battle with local ice cream vendors Paul St Hilaire Sr and Jr, who have held a licence to trade on King William Walk since 2015.
The father and son business owners successfully challenged Greenwich Council's initial consultation process in 2023, forcing the authority to restart the procedure after a High Court ruling.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The council reached the same conclusion to prohibit ice cream van trading on the street
GETTY
The St Hilaires claim the council originally implemented a sales ban on the street without notifying them.
They maintain they had received no complaints during their years of operation and had consistently paid all required licensing fees.
Despite the court-ordered re-run of the consultation, the council reached the same conclusion to prohibit ice cream van trading on the street.
The St Hilaires have announced they will appeal the council's latest decision, with Paul St Hilaire Jr confirming they are awaiting a High Court date regarding the council's separate move to prohibit King William Walk from being a licensed street for trading.
The council maintains its position is focused on public safety rather than opposition to ice cream sales
It follows two weekends of hot conditions for much of the country in the final weeks of June, which was the hottest on record across England.
A third heatwave in the space of the month could also arrive in Britain by mid-July, the Met Office has said.
Met Office meteorologist Zoe Hutin said: "Whilst it is difficult this far ahead to determine exactly how hot things could get next week and weekend, there is the potential that some parts of the country could reach heatwave criteria."
She added: "Most likely it will be the south and east that see prolonged heat and thus could have another heatwave, but it is too soon to say exactly how high temperatures could get."
Most Read
