Every street in Exmouth could be allowed to host markets, under plans to overhaul ‘outdated’ laws, which may be restricting trade.

Currently, there are 69 streets in Exmouth, where trading fairs, markets and other events are banned at all times; they are called ‘prohibited streets’.

In Exmouth, there is only one street – a ‘consent street’ - where markets can be held, with the say-so of the district council, and that is Bath Road.

Bath Road, behind the new Premier Inn, has not been used for street markets for many years.

Now, East Devon District Council (EDDC) wants to turn the 1980s’ byelaw on its head and is set to debate the issue at the overview committee on June 30.

Instead of presuming that all street trading is banned, council officers are recommending that there should be a presumption that street trading is allowed everywhere, and applicants would then have to apply to EDDC for permission.

A council report said: “Almost all the centres of the towns in East Devon and esplanades are prohibited, so far as street trading is concerned.

“Even if the council wishes to permit street trading, it is prevented from doing so, except for those areas designated as ‘consent streets’.

“We now live in different times and, over recent years, enquiries to [carry out] street trade has increased as it seems it has the public support for these ventures, although not in all areas of the district. In particular, the advent of farmers’ markets, French markets and Christmas markets has shown how popular street trading has become.”

In 2013, EDDC’s licensing and enforcement committee backed a consultation to turn all of East Devon roads into a ‘consent street’.

The report added: “This would still permit the council to control street trading, but would give it flexibility to decide if and where and how such trading should take place.”