Friday May 15th 2026
Andrew Thomson applied for a second hand dealer licence to sell cars from a residential street, Inglis Avenue in Port Seton
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Stuart Sommerville
A man who has been selling cars from outside his parents’ home has been denied a second hand dealer’s licence.
Andrew Thomson was warned by councillors of the Licensing Sub Committee that even if he was granted a licence he could not continue to sell cars from the street as he had been doing.
Mr Thomson told councillors he was not a trader, and that it was more of a hobby. He had only applied for the dealer licence because he had been told to by police.
The Licensing Sub Committee in Haddington was told that Mr Thomson had been buying and selling old cars “for 10 or 12 years”.
“It’s not really trading”, he said to councillors, “I don’t make any money, if anything I’m spending money on them.”
He admitted that he had not posted his application at his parents house where neighbours could have seen it because his parents objected. The dealer licence application had instead been kept in one of the cars parked on the street in Inglis Avenue, Port Seton.
A report to the committee by the Licensing Standards Officer said she had spoken to Mr Thomson’s father, who confirmed the licence application was not displayed at his home because he did not agree with the business.
The report added: “The father mentioned he was not happy with the situation… He confirmed neighbours frequently complain about vehicles being parked up and down the street by his son which are intended for second hand dealership.”
The report added: “This is in fact a residential street”, adding that the application was not supported by his parents.
Councillor Lee Anne Menzies told Mr Thomson that even if he had a dealer licence he would not be allowed to sell vehicles from a public road.
Mr Thomson told councillors that he could not afford the overheads that premises woul cost and that most of his trading was based around parts and swapping vehicles.
He told councillor Menzies at any one time he had five or six cars to trade.
Having heard a unanimous decision not to grant him a dealer licence Chair of the meeting the Provost, Councillor John McMIllan told Mr Thomson: “You need to take heed of all that’s been said to you from Trading Standards, from our licensing team and the police, and take action accordingly.”
Mr Thomson swore at the committee. He was asked to leave or he would be escorted from the building.
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