Greenwich, London – April 2025 — Greenwich Council is facing scrutiny over its renewed efforts to prohibit ice cream van trading on King William Walk, a street adjacent to Greenwich Park, with officials insisting the move is not a crackdown on frozen treats.
The local authority’s cabinet has recommended that King William Walk be added to the borough’s list of streets where itinerant ice cream vending is banned. The move follows a legal challenge that overturned the council’s initial attempt to impose the restriction.
The decision to revisit the ban comes after ice cream van operator Paul St Hilaire Sr successfully contested the original prohibition in court, arguing that the council had not followed due legal process. Bromley Magistrates’ Court ruled in his favor, ordering the council to redo its public consultation and reassess whether the prohibition was justified.
In a court-mandated consultation earlier this year, 25 residents and organizations responded, with 16 supporting the ban and nine opposing it, according to council records. The issue returned to the cabinet on April 9, where it again sparked debate.
Councillor Pat Slattery, who represents the Greenwich Park ward including King William Walk, defended the proposal, stressing the council’s intentions were being misunderstood.
“I think it is important to say that the council is not anti-ice cream,” said Cllr Slattery. “There are ice cream vendors within a reasonable distance of where this ice cream van regularly parks up.”
At the meeting, councillor Jackie Smith clarified the legal basis for prohibiting street trading. She explained that councils may only impose such restrictions when trading causes an obstruction to traffic or undue inconvenience to the public.
“We have had lots of complaints from lots of residents of King William Walk in the past,” Cllr Smith added.
Legal adviser Azuka Onuorah, the council’s interim director of legal services, stated that if the revised ban is challenged again, the prohibition would still remain in place until any appeal is resolved. This would allow the council to proceed with enforcement actions during that time.
The case has already proven costly for Greenwich Council, which spent £52,000 in legal fees, as revealed through a Freedom of Information request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
Council leader Anthony Okereke sought to ease public concern by reinforcing the message that the borough remains welcoming to frozen delights.
“We are not banning ice creams in Greenwich in any way, shape, or form,” he said. “We do love an ice cream, actually.”
The recommendation to prohibit trading on King William Walk now moves to a vote before the full council. If approved, enforcement could soon be implemented, although further legal challenges may still lie ahead.
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