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Oct 2020

Last Updated: 14/10/2020

Business

Save our Markets petition goes to council tonight

by Tim Flanagan

| 14 Oct, 2020

Knaresborough and Ripon markets were respectively granted royal charters in 1310 and 1604, but traders at both believe their livelihoods are under threat and will be presenting a petition to Harrogate Borough Council this evening.

Visitors were keen to return to the market this morning, but the traders are aware safety has to be a priority.

Concerns that Harrogate Borough Council wants to 'kill off' ancient markets in Knaresborough and Ripon will be voiced at a meeting this evening.

Almost 4,000 people have signed a Save our Markets petition set up by stallholders in both locations.

The petition began after HBC increased rents by more than 25 per cent for stallholders standing at markets across the Harrogate district.

The increase, which came into effect on 1 August, applies to stalls that are supplied by the council and erected and dismantled by its employees.

Traders with their own self-erect stalls do not have to pay the additional money.

Markets petition launched in Knaresborough and Ripon

United call to protect Harrogate district markets

The market traders' petition will be presented at this evening's virtual full council meeting, at which Steve Teggin, president of Knaresborough Chamber of Trade and a life-long supporter of markets, will speak on behalf of stallholders.

David Tomlinson, who was involved in co-ordinating the petition in Knaresborough, runs a stationery stall at the Wednesday market.

He told the Stray Ferret:

"At a time of uncertainty caused by the covid pandemic, which continues to affect all aspects of the business community, we are having to fight for our future."

Mr Tomlinson, pointed out:

"There is a genuine feeling in Knaresborough that the council wants to kill the markets off. Their introduction of a 25 per cent rent increase shortly after many stallholders had been unable to trade for 11 weeks, could not have been worse timing."

Some traders received £8,000 last month from the Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund, which supports small and micro businesses affected by covid.

Mr Tomlinson said this helped to offset losses during the 11-week lockdown but did not offer long-term security.

His concerns were echoed in Ripon, where Brian Murphy's family has run a stall selling fruit and vegetables for more than 100 years.

Mr Murphy, who represents the city's market traders, said:

"In every other local authority area, council's have gone out of their way to support the continuity of the markets by giving both food and non-food stallholders rent-free periods or rent reductions - but not Harrogate."

At a full meeting of HBC in July, Councillor Andy Paraskos, cabinet member with responsibility for the district’s markets, said a number of measures have been put in place by the council to support traders and promote the markets.

This included waiving fees for traders unable to attend markets because of government restrictions during the covid lockdown period and promotion of market days on social media.

He told the meeting:

“There has been a rumour going around that HBC is wanting to get rid of the markets. This is not true.”

A HBC spokesman told the Stray Ferret earlier this month its new payment system was "more flexible" and would lead to some traders paying less. He added:

“It currently costs us £15 each time we need to assemble a stall on behalf of a trader and given the number of stalls at both weekly markets, it ends up costing the taxpayer thousands of pounds per year.”

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Save our Markets petition goes to council tonight

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