The City Council approved the Informal Trading Plan for Ward 71 on Thursday, 28 April 2016. This includes three areas in particular, within a broader defined area at the Retreat Public Transport Interchange along Main Road. The area being referred to is in the vicinity of Bergvliet and Lakeside.

 

The approval will see an additional 13 new sites (currently there are four) being created that will bring the total to 17 trading sites at the Retreat Public Transport Interchange.

The following existing informal trading opportunities will be retained in their current locations:

In total there will be 38 trading opportunities for this particular area of Ward 71.

 

‘Informal trading plays a vital role in creating much-needed employment and economic opportunities. The City is therefore doing all it can to balance the needs of residents and the formal retail sector with the need for economic development as we continue to build a city of opportunity,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Tourism, Events and Economic Development, Councillor Garreth Bloor.

 

Once an informal trading plan is approved by Council and implemented, the City monitors the demarcated sites to ensure that traders comply with the City’s by-laws and within their permit conditions.

 

‘Although the aggregate contribution from this sector to the GDP may be small, the aggregate improvement in well-being is large,’ added Councillor Bloor.