More ice cream sellers will be allowed on Gosport seafront, council confirms

Gosport Borough Council will decide on adopting a new concession policy to allow more people to sell ice cream in popular spring/summertime locations. Currently, the council has two concessions in Stokes Bay and Lee-On-The-Solent that will expire on March 31 next year.

The concessions for Lee and Stokes bay will be re-let, offering a four-year agreement starting April 1 next year.

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The other proposed locations include Alver Valley East, Alver Valley West, Walpole Park, Falklands Gardens, Hardway, Gosport Park, Privett Park, Lee Recreation Ground and Leesland Park. Specific pitch locations in all of the areas identified will be sensitively considered with and in communication with local operating businesses to ensure no direct business competition is created.

Council documents state the proposed pitches will be ‘sensitively considered’ to ensure that ‘no direct business competition is created’.

It adds: ‘The selling of ice creams at the seafront has been controlled for many years owing to the competitive nature of the business for the most lucrative sales areas.

‘In the past several confrontational issues occurred, which reflected poorly on the council as landowner generally. The response has been to control access to the council’s seafront car parks, which has resolved these issues.

‘If the ice-cream concessions are not awarded it could result in a loss of income to the council and a reduction in service to the public.’

Documents will be available to download for the submission of bids between mid-December and February 2023.