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20
May
Knaresborough Town Council submits business case to run weekly market
Knaresborough Town Council could take over the running of the the town’s weekly market if a business case is accepted by North Yorkshire Council.
The town council agreed in March to draw one up after the county council said it would no longer provide set-up services for traders from July as part of plans to ‘harmonise’ its approach to the region’s markets.
Knaresborough Town Council submitted the document last night following an extraordinary meeting yesterday (May 19), but details of its contents have not yet been made public.
Councillor James Pickard told the Stray Ferret:
There are a few things in there that we can’t discuss until North Yorkshire Council has acknowledged receipt. Once that’s happened, the case will be made available to the public.
He said the county council would have to meet to decide on its course of action, but added that town councillors were expecting to receive a defined timeline sometime today.
The town council is understood to be anxious not to take on any debt, so matters for discussion will include the cost of any agreement, as well as its terms.
The prospect of Knaresborough taking control of its chartered market, which is held every Wednesday, has attracted arguments for and against on social media, but the impetus appears to be behind the ‘for’ camp.
Steve Teggin, one of the leaders of the Save Knaresborough Market campaign, told us:
If ever there’s been a time for Knaresborough Town Council to step up, it’s now. This is the most important thing it could consider for the next 20 years.
Harrogate Borough Council wrecked the market over the last 15 years. Numbers of stalls have halved from 40-plus to about 20 – it's shocking – largely because the council just didn’t value the market. They kept on putting the rates up and their attitude towards the market traders has been appalling.
It’s absolutely crucial that this happens as soon as possible, without delays. If it goes ahead, the market will recover very quickly. I reckon within six months you’ll see it grow by 40-50%.
The first record of a market being held in Knaresborough dates from 1206, but the town was awarded a charter to hold one by King Edward II in 1310.
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