Thai street food van applies for evening trading in Ipswich town centre

Lost in Bangkok already sets up outside Barclays Bank at Giles Circus on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10.30am to 3.30pm - and is available to order on Deliveroo.

But an application to open seven days a week under Lloyds Arch or in Giles Circus was submitted to Ipswich Borough Council's licensing department last month and is due to be the subject of debate at the licensing committee meeting later this month.

Minnie Brown, owner of Lost in Bangkok, has requested consent to trade at either town centre location during the evening, from 5.30pm to 9.30pm Sunday to Thursday, and 5.30pm to 10.30pm on Friday and Saturday nights.

She and her husband Marcus set up the business, which brings her family recipes to the streets of Ipswich - first at a food stall and now in a van that can be driven off the site each night.

A number of consultation comments have been received in regard to the application, with the director of IBC's culture and environment services commenting that Giles Circus would be a more appropriate area due to regular events being planned at the Cornhill. This would mean the council could continue to plan activities in this location without adding conditions to the licence, and disruption to the business and its customers would be reduced.

The market management department noted that the proposed opening hours may need to be revised to avoid conflict with the market packing up for the night.

And IBC's Public Protection also raised concerns about possible antisocial behaviour and the stall detracting from the overall image of the area.

Members of the licensing committee will decide whether to grant street trading consent at the meeting on April 20.

Street trading guidance issued by IBC does state that only Victorian barrow-style stalls are acceptable for use during the day, but the report to the committee states this has generally not been applied to evening and night-time traders.