Plans to axe criminal background checks on East Riding street collectors
It's going to go to a public consultation
Proposals to axe criminal background checks on East Riding street collectors are set for a public consultation after councillors gave it the go ahead.
East Riding Council’s Licensing Committee backed a six-week consultation on the plans, beginning on Wednesday, February 1 subject to Cabinet approval.
Council Licensing Manager Louise Wilson told the committee the proposal aimed at easing the burden on charities applying for street collecting permits given the current economic climate.
The decision comes as a report to the committee stated background checks introduced in 2016 had never found that anyone applying for a street collecting or house-to-house permit was unsuitable.
It added the policy would cut costs for charities and volunteers and reduce the workload of the council’s licensing team.
The report stated: “The existing policy had a requirement for all applicants for a street collection or house-to-house permit to submit a basic criminal record check with an application.
“This requirement has caused significant delays in the process and difficulties for many promoters who are volunteers and do not have the funds to apply for police checks on each application, as the police check is required to be less than six weeks old.
“To support charities at this difficult economic time and following no issues having been identified in the last six years of submitted basic police checks, it is proposed to remove this requirement from the application criteria.”
The committee meeting also saw councillors approve plans for new measures to make street traders such as food vendors operate in a more environmentally-friendly way.
New policies backed by the committee would require them to use less single-use plastics and to take more responsibility for cleaning up customers’ rubbish.
Street traders will also be required to show how they are being environmentally sustainable when they apply for or renew their permits.
The committee also approved a six-week consultation on new rules for scrap metal dealers following law changes brought in nationally.
Dealers are now required to do tax checks and local authorities have to make sure they have a legal right to work in the UK.
There are currently 15 licensed sites and 15 licensed scrap metal dealers in the East Riding.
Six sites have closed between 2018, when the council’s existing policy on scrap metal dealers was adopted, and 2022.
The council has prosecuted one mobile dealer who repeatedly collected scrap metal without a licence.