An ice cream vendor near a top London tourist attraction claims he lost half his business overnight due to a council mix-up over his operating hours.
Calogero Galletta was given the green light by Richmond Council licensing officers to extend his trading hours at a spot on Hampton Court Way - near Hampton Court Palace - in 2019, but was informed four years later that this was a 'miscommunication'. Back in 1996, the council issued separate street trading licences to three mobile ice cream businesses, allowing them to operate at different times on the pitch.
Giuseppe Smeraglia and Lorenzo Galletta were granted licences to trade on alternate weeks each month, excluding one Sunday. Carlo Marchese was given permission to trade on the remaining two Sundays every month. After Mr Marchese and his son passed away, the licence was transferred to his daughter Carmela Cavallino.
When Mr Smeraglia retired in 2019, the council was asked to transfer his licence to Mr Galletta's son Calogero. Despite refusing the request, the council stated that the licence would not be advertised and Mr Galletta could use the pitch during these hours. However, a recent council report revealed that while licensing officers permitted this arrangement and placed 'no fault' on Mr Galletta, he 'did not have the legal right to acquire the site'.
Hampton Court Palace (Getty Images)The report also stated that anyone could apply for it, which Ms Cavallino later did, reports MyLondon. The council informed Mr Galletta and Ms Cavallino that they would need to advertise the pitch at these times following her request, which they both applied for. The council's licensing committee convened to discuss the applications on May 23.
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Mr Galletta shared with the hearing that emails from the council in 2019, when he took over the business from his father, clearly stated that the licence would 'not be put out to tender' so he could operate during Mr Smergalia's hours. His family's business has been a fixture at the site for 53 years.
Mr Galletta said: "My natural assumption was I carry on as I am and, obviously, we're now four years down the line and are being told by the council it's a mistake, and this is the process, I accept that, but obviously I'm not happy about it because overnight I've lost 50 per cent of my business just by what I personally feel was an error on the council's side... I wasn't really given the full facts of how that licence should have been put out."
Lib Dem councillor Rob O'Carroll acknowledged that the council understands he has been 'operating in good faith since 2019 and this is no fault of your own, that there was a miscommunication'. Ms Cavallino alleged that her father had previously mentioned if Mr Smeraglia or Mr Galletta stepped down, it would 'only be fair that he then took over to make it easier as well and fair on the days', which is what she applied for.
She professed her passion for the pitch and noted that her family's business has been trading there since 1960. Ms Cavallino expressed her desire to take over part of the licence previously held by Mr Smeraglia, realizing it was not registered under Mr Galletta's name. She appealed to the committee, saying: "I'm going to leave it into your hands to make this fair and I'd like to carry on with my dad's legacy and the family business and expand, like we're all trying to expand."
The committee then opted to split the available hours equally between Mr Galletta and Ms Cavallino. Under this arrangement, Mr Galletta will operate at the pitch every week except for the first two Sundays of each month and the six days following these Sundays, which are allocated to Ms Cavallino.
The committee described their decision as the 'fairest distribution' of the vacant licence, eliminating 'the need for a rota' between the two parties.
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