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10
Dec 2020
Market stallholders and Knaresborough Chamber of Trade have reacted angrily after a councillor discredited a petition they raised about increased charges.
At the online full meeting of Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) in October, Steve Teggin, president of Knaresborough Chamber of Trade, presented a 'save your market' petition with 4,000 signatures, raised during the summer at the town's Wednesday market and Ripon's Thursday market.
Following the meeting, Councillor Andrew Paraskos, HBC's cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, contacted individual signatories, saying in a letter sent by post to their homes, or to email addresses:
The petition said:
Twenty non-essential traders applied for local authority discretionary grants and each received payments of £10,000 in two instalments - the first in the summer of £2,000 and then £8,000 in October. At the time the grant money was welcomed by those who had received it.
Mr Teggin told the Stray Ferret:
Brian Murphy, who represents Ripon's stallholders, pointed out:
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