Understandably, many people are asking questions in relation to recent social media coverage about pleasure boat operators along the St Ives seafront. The implication of the posts is that businesses are being prevented from trading or are facing an uncertain future. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Since 2021, local pleasure boat businesses have been licenced to tout for business in the harbour area. Some businesses have booths, others have ticket touts who stand at the corner of the lifeboat gate. Changes this year have been brought in by the Town Council in response to concerns from the RNLI, complaints from the public and other businesses along the Wharf about some of the behaviour and number of ticket sellers at the gate. The RNLI asked that touts did not trade from the gate and the highway manager was concerned about so many people standing on the road.
In response, licences this year ask all businesses to trade from booths, which are spaced along the Wharf. Some businesses are unhappy about the change. They generally object to two aspects, being asked to move from the gate, and also where owners have more than one vessel, to having a single booth for their boats. Businesses want space to trade, but there is also a need to ensure that other road and harbour users can enjoy the space.
Licences are issued under a legal order called a public spaces protection order (PSPOs) and it has been in place for over three years. The PSPO is set up by Cornwall Council and enables local authorities to help manage very busy public spaces. The same powers are used for dog fouling, advertising boards, fly postings etc. The St Ives order also covers touting for boat trips, hair braiders and henna tattooists. The order doesn’t prevent any of these things happening, it just requires an application and permission to be granted, by way of a licence.
Some of the businesses (not all) objected to this change. Others were happy to trade from the booths as they always had. The proposals were set out in early January and have been subject to lots of discussion and debate.
Despite what has been portrayed, the Town Council has issued licences to trade to all but one business. All of them are now trading for the season but the RNLI gate is now clear. The Town Council believe that it is fair and reasonable for people touting and trading on the highway to be licenced with terms and conditions. We believe that it’s what both local people and visitors would expect. We do understand that change is difficult and not everyone is happy with the new rules. But boat trips are alive and well in St Ives and will continue as they always have.
