Cake shed rules could crumble in council review

A home baker who closed her cake shed over "ridiculous" street trading rules has shared her relief after a council said it would review its policy.

Natalie Brook, 37, has been baking cakes to sell from her garden in Rhodesia, Nottinghamshire, since January.

But she recently told the BBC it would no longer be worth operating after cake shed owners in the area said they had been informed by Bassetlaw District Council that they needed a licence costing £1,007 or they could face a £1,000 fine.

The authority previously said it could not make any exceptions to the rules, but it has now paused enforcement action relating to cake sheds and cupboards while the relevant part of the policy is reviewed.

Natalie, who previously said she would have to sell about 500 cakes to pay for the licence for the cake shed and start to make a profit, described the decision as "brilliant news".

She added: "We are hoping that the fees will be abolished or are a lot more proportional to my business.

"If it is more proportional, we can understand that, we can cope with that.

"It is a positive step forward."

Natalie previously said she was not directly contacted by the council about the street trading policy - believing she may have missed a visit from officers - but had been informed by other cake shed owners in the area.

She added: "I understand that other businesses have to pay these licences for burger vans or whatever, but they're on actual streets. This is my garden.

"We are not serving hundreds of people. I could understand if it was a lower amount, but £1,007 to sell a few cakes at the weekend, just seems ridiculous."

At the time, the council said it had consulted on and considered its street trading policy over the last two years.

It added its licensing committee had agreed cake sheds should be covered by it, because of the food safety and hygiene implications, monitoring, potential annoyance to neighbours and to be fair to existing traders.

On Monday, the council said it had seen the "public reaction to the introduction of this policy and the impact it could have on residents" who run cake sheds.

June Evans, cabinet member for governance, which includes legal and licensing, added the authority recognised the "community benefit these enterprises can have in some areas".

She said: "Having considered our current approach, we have decided to pause all enforcement action that relates specifically to 'cake sheds and cupboards' while this part of the street trader policy can be reviewed by our licensing committee, including any fees and charges.

"The street trader policy still remains in place as it guides and licenses other forms of street trading throughout the district.

"We will also continue to monitor the situation, especially where we receive complaints from members of the public that relate specifically to 'cake sheds and cupboards', and where there could be serious concerns raised around their impact on other members of a community, food safety and hygiene, and issues including electrical, gas or fire risks."

A report is being prepared for the council's licensing committee to consider at the beginning of June, the authority added.

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