Bid for door-to-door charity collections in Northampton deferred

Giving Support Ltd has applied for a house-to-house permit to collect clothes on behalf of Breast Cancer Research Aid. A percentage of proceeds would go to the charity, with a smaller amount being retained for company expenses such as wages, van rent costs and fuel.

The application was first made last February, but has seen a series of delays before it was finally discussed by councillors on Tuesday (July 9).

But members of Northampton Borough Council’s licensing committee decided to defer the application, as they were not clear as to the proportion of funds that were put to the charity, and the amount returned for business expenses.

The committee indicated its desire for the applicants to attend the next hearing in September in person to answer these questions, and it also wanted to see all information backed up with the company’s latest accounts.

A similar recent application saw the impatient councillors reject proposals from Recycle Proline Ltd to collect on behalf of Cancer Research, after the company failed twice to turn up after being invited.

Councillor Graham Walker bemoaned the lack of attendance once more, saying: “We have been through this twice now.”

Regarding the latest application from Giving Support Ltd, committee chair Councillor Penelope Flavell said: “We should tell them to turn up. If they want something from us, come and see us.”