A kebab van has been accused of attempting to ‘circumvent’ council rules after it had its street trading licence revoked last month.
Mo’s Kebab was ordered to shut shop at Woodlands Avenue, Woodley, after ‘significant concerns’ were raised about the ‘validity’ of the business.
Mr Jan Ratip applied to renew the licence to trade from Woodland’s Avenue, Woodley.
But the decision was put to a subcommittee of councillors after the police said the assistant to the business, Muhammed Alpar, was a suspect in an ‘affray’ at Turkish Mangal on Northumberland Avenue.
The police suggested this violence was ‘business related’ and suggested that Mr Alpar was involved at both enterprises.
Committee members went on to question the extent of Mr Alpar’s involvement in the business after licensing officers said they had never interacted with Mr Ratip.
Miss Yulia Biysembaeva, assistant to Mr Ratip, told a licensing and appeals subcommittee that she had filled out the application with Mr Ratip, but had put her own address on the application – where Mr Alpar also resides as her partner.
This caused licensing officers to deem the application ‘invalid’ as information was not correct.
Now, Miss Biysembaeva has applied to renew the street trading consent for Mo’s Kebab at Knowl Hill Layby, Bath Road, Knowl Hill.
She has said this van is also called Mo’s Kebab for ‘purely marketing purposes’ and is a separate business to her partner’s.
But licensing officers have said the pitch is ‘not being used’ properly after three visits to the site between October and November 2024 found no van trading.
On one occasion the van was seen at the pitch but was not open.
Concerns were also raised that the application could be an attempt to ‘circumvent’ rules around street consent. Wokingham Borough Council says a street trader can only operate from one site to prevent a ‘monopoly’.
Other issues were taken with Miss Biysembaeva’s ‘close association’ with Mr Alpar and Mr Ratip, who had last month’s application refused.
Insurance details provided also included Mr Alpar and Mr Ratip, which officers said ‘strongly indicates that Mr Alpar remains involved in the business operations’.
The home address on the application is the same as the address of the alleged affray, licensing officers added.
In response, Miss Biysembaeva has said the refusal for street trading consent in Woodley was ‘based on incorrect information which can be clarified’. She said this should not affect the renewal of this separate license.
Miss Biysembaeva further said she could separate her insurance coverage ‘if necessary’, and that she is registered as the sole trader for this van.
A panel hearing will take place on whether to renew the street trading licence on Monday, January 20.
