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29
Oct
Councillors reiterate call for Ripon Market economic impact assessment
An 11th hour attempt to safeguard the future of Ripon's ancient market will be made at a specially convened meeting in Skipton on November 21.
Just 15 days before North Yorkshire Council is due to decide on plans to bring both Ripon and Knaresborough into line with the other markets that it operates, two city councillors will reiterate their call for an economic and cummunity impact assessement to be carried out before a final decision is made.
Lib Dem Cllr Barbara Brodigan, who also represents Ripon's Ure Bank and Spa division on the unitary authority, will attend a North Yorkshire Council area constituency committee meeting with fellow campaigner and former three times mayor of Ripon, Councillor Pauline McHardy, seeeking support in their bid for the assessment to be carried out.
The unitary authority announced earlier this year that, in common with the other five outdoor markets it controls, all traders in Ripon and Knaresborough would be required to supply and set up their own stalls - a move that would save the cash-strapped council £30,000 per annum.
The proposal was met with dismay by traders, many of whom said that they would no longer be able to attend the markets for financial, practical and logistical reasons.
An online petition to 'Preserve the Heritage of Knaresbrough Market' was launched in August and has gathered almost 1,500 signatures, while online and paper petitions set up in Ripon last month by the two city councillors, have attracted more than 3,200 names.
Cllr Brodigan, who started the online Save Ripon Market petition, told the Stray Ferret:
I'm convinced that saving £15,000 per year in Ripon by withdrawing the stall supply and set-up service currently providied by North Yorkshire Council employees, would be a false economy, massively outweighed by the negative impact that a greatly diminshed market with fewer traders would have on the city's wider economy, which relies on attracting regular visitors.
In the absence of a comprehensive impact assessment, it will not be possible to make an informed decision on a proposed move that has long term implications.
Cllr McHardy, who carried out her own survey to gauge the views of Ripon's market traders, has called on the support of David Skaith, the Labour mayor of York and North Yorkshire.
She said:
I hope that he is able to bring his influence to bear before the decison is made, because my research shows that the majority of traders who currently rely on having stalls supplied and erected by North Yorkshire Council, will not continue to come to our city.
Ripon has had a charter market since the 12th century and here we are in the 21st century facing the prospect of its sudden death.
With the strength of feeling expressed by those who signed the petitions, we implore North Yorkshire Council to think again before it's too late.
When he attended the full meeting of Ripon City Council earlier this month, Jon Clubb, North Yorkshire Council's head of parks and grounds, said:
No decison has been made and we will continue with a robust consultation process before developing options and recommendations.
Our target date for making a decision is December 6.
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