Line in the sand: Aberdeen bans new food vans from beachfront

Aberdeen City Council has stopped any new food and drink vans from setting up on the city's beachfront, amid concerns that the seafront has become overcrowded with street traders.

Thirty-six businesses already have permission to trade there, selling everything from burgers and burritos to sweet treats. Some only open for a day or two a week, and some people have described the look of the area as unsightly. There have also been complaints online about a lack of parking.

What has changed

Councillors agreed that no new licences will be granted while work on the beach masterplan is under way. The council's street trading policy has also been changed to include a presumption against new traders on the beachfront. Existing traders can still renew their licences.

Councillor Sandy Munro said the freeze is temporary and could be reviewed once it is clearer how street traders will fit into the masterplan. He said the licensing team cannot force traders to open at set hours or impose rules on how their vans look.

Dream on hold

Lauren Patterson-Strath, who runs LA Coffee on nearby York Street with her partner Amy, had started applying to move her coffee cart to the seafront because of the better footfall. She has now been told that is no longer possible.

She said she understood why the council did not want more traders, but felt pitches should be better monitored, and that vans not being used should be moved. She said the decision could ultimately force her to move her business somewhere else.

'Too many selling the same thing'

Samuel Turcu-Georgescu and his son Darius have run the Highlander Cafe bus on the beachfront since 2017. Samuel said too many vans made trading hard for everyone, with many selling the same things, and that the council should sort out existing traders first. Darius suggested traders should only come when they plan to open and leave at the end of the day, freeing up space for others.