Food vans in Harpenden have been offered a six month extension, with a proposed ‘food and social hub’ now unlikely.

The vans have been an ever-present factor on the High Street for a number of years and have now been offered the extension.

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Harpenden Town Council had supported "exciting proposals" for the concourse late last year (2022), but it is now believed that gaining planning permission for these proposals would be unlikely.

A spokesperson for Harpenden Town Council said: "For a number of years the town council has allowed street food to be sold on the concourse outside the library.

"During that time we have worked in partnership with many local businesses, including Toastiecilous and Emilios, to try to make the area a vibrant part of the High Street.

"These partnerships have enabled traders to test their products, build up a customer base and in some cases provide a platform to open permanent units in the town.

"The set up on the concourse has evolved over time and the current approach could be seen as having permanent structures which requires planning permission.

"Exciting proposals for the concourse were developed late last year and these were supported in principle by the town council.

"We took these proposals to the Local Planning Authority (St Albans City & District Council) who provided us with pre-application planning advice.

"This advice said that our plans would be unlikely to get planning permission and our own analysis of costs to deliver the proposals showed that it would no longer be viable to progress this ourselves with public funds.

"We have offered both Toastielicious and Emilios an extended six month licence to the end of June 2023 to trade on the concourse which we understand Emilios will be taking up.

"Beyond the end of June we are hoping to still see street food traders on the concourse when we hope to go back to the original concept of vehicles driving on and off the area to trade each day in a temporary nature.

"This, we hope will help the concourse to continue as a vibrant area of Harpenden.

"We wish the street food traders all the best for the future."

A spokesperson for The Harpenden Society told The Herts Advertiser that it supports the council's decision to extend the vans' licenses for six months.

The spokesperson said: "The Harpenden Society reiterates its support for the town council’s decision at its November meeting to extend the existing traders’ licence for six months to the end of June 2023.

"It is, however, evident from the minutes of the meeting that options are being sought to broaden the appeal of the area around the concourse as a ‘food and social hub’, for which planning permission from St Albans District Council would be required and the needs of the Harpenden Conservation Area would also need to be taken into account."