Coffee van serves up petition to stay put

A petition has been launched to try to help bring back Charley’s Coffee Van to Barnes Park after it was moved on by Sunderland City Council.

Charley’s Coffee Van had been situated at the main car park in Barnes Park throughout England’s third national lockdown and had become popular with some members of the public.

The van has now been moved on by the city council following complaints from residents as the owner does not have the “appropriate consent” to trade in the park.

Following the council’s decision, an online petition has been set up to urge the local authority to allow the coffee van, which is run by ex-servicemen, to return to Barnes Park.

A statement on the petition said: “Please bring back our beloved van to Barnes Park, we brought coffee and smiles and we are gutted we have been moved on.”

A council spokesperson explained that the coffee van would need to apply for a permit in order to carry on trading.

They said: “All vendors who wish to trade in council’s parks must have permission to do so.

“In this case, Charley’s was requested to move from the location in Barnes Park as the owner did not have the appropriate consent to trade in the park, and the operation had been the subject of some complaints from residents.

"The owner has been offered information on trading in a more appropriate location and advice on obtaining a street trading licence to permit trading on designated highway land should he wish to do so.”