NOT LICKED YET! Hope for ice cream man in park battle
KIRKLEES Council has revealed that the tender process set to decide which company will be selling ice cream at a popular park spot “has not yet been completed”.
On Sunday, a spokeswoman for Dixons Milk Ices claimed Gary Redfearn, who has been selling ice cream in and around Beaumont Park for more than 20 years, had lost his pitch after the tender was awarded to a company based in Bradford.
A petition has since been launched calling for Gary, 59, to be allowed to continue selling the Huddersfield-made product in Beaumont Park.
But Kirklees Council says the tender process has not yet been completed – suggesting a final decision is yet to be made.
A spokesperson for the council said: “When there is competition for an exclusive licence to trade in a public place like Beaumont Park, we have to make a fair decision through a strict tender process which assesses and scores applications on a number of factors.
“This process has not yet been completed so it’s not appropriate to comment any further at this point.”
Laura Bonnell, office manager for Dixons, previously told the sister website, YorkshireLive: “Three years ago Kirklees Council wanted to manage the park a bit more and so the contract went out for tender. “Gary put his tender in based on what he has been paying but a Bradford company has beaten him to it and he is very upset by it.
“It will come up for tender again in two years’ time and we will see what happens then.”
Gary has thanked people for their “overwhelming support” following the news, as he revealed people have been stopping him in the street to offer their wellwishes.
The petition calling for Gary to keep his spot at Beaumont Park is still live and has reached more than 5,500 signatures.
The tender process has not yet been completed so it’s inappropriate to comment any further.