Passionate resident speaks out against council eviction letters to Northampton Market Square food vans
A customer of the two food vans in Northampton Market Square has hit out at “the way they are being treated” by West Northamptonshire Council.
As the Chronicle & Echo first reported, two long-standing food trucks on Northampton’s Market Square – Ciro’s Place and Fryin’ Brian – were given four days’ notice to leave by West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) last week.
On Monday April 20, the businesses were handed letters by a WNC employee stating they had until 8pm on Friday April 24 to vacate the square. Both trucks have been trading on the site for decades.
The council says the move is part of efforts to make the square “a more welcoming space” by “improving the range and offer”, as well as reviewing trader locations to reduce anti-social behaviour. It said the decision was made after “careful consideration”.
Despite the council’s orders, food van owners Joao and Paul reopened for business this week and appear to be busier than ever. WNC told the Chron last week that if they defied the order, the council would “consider the appropriate enforcement action”.
One passionate customer named Lorraine stopped to chat with the Chronicle & Echo. She said felt let down by the Reform-led administration and said they way the traders had been treated was “diabolical”.
She said: “What they're doing to two van owners that are trying to just earn a living. How would they feel if they was told they've got to give up their job within four days, how would they feel if they lost their job? It's exactly the same.
"The van owners are not responsible for what people do on the market. Plus also, there's drug dealers, there's homeless people sleeping at Abington Street, all sorts going on up there. They don't do nothing about that. They're just penalising two burger van owners that have done absolutely nothing wrong.
“And I tell you what, they are two very polite, lovely blokes. Very nice blokes. I've known Joe for about six years. When he was up here on the market before, and then they moved him to Commercial Street... I don't know about Paul, but I know Joe had to fund out of his own money to keep his van going down there.
“Then they came back up here, and since they've been back up here, they've just been treated like rubbish. Moved from pillar to post.
“If they (WNC) didn't want benches here for people to sit about, why put them there? In actual fact, on the council website, it says this place is designed for people to linger longer. That’s what it says.”