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25
Feb
The clock is ticking as the fight to save Ripon Market continues
Liberal Democrat councillor Barbara Brodigan and three-times mayor of Ripon Pauline McHardy have vowed that the fight to save the city's ancient market goes on after North Yorkshire Council told traders that its stall set up service will end in July.
In a letter to stallholders, that has been seen by the Stray Ferret, the council's head of parks and grounds Jon Clubb, said:
After extensive engagement and discussions throughout the summer and autumn of 2024, a formal decision was made on 6 December 2024 by the corporate director of environment, in consultation with the executive member for highways and transportation, to cease the set-up of market stalls by North Yorkshire Council, harmonising all our outdoor markets to ‘self-set.’
Ripon Market is also under threat. Image: Ripon City Council
The letter pointed out that in December it was agreed to defer the implementation of the decision by six months to enable both Ripon City Council and Knaresborough Town Council to fully consider future plans for their respective markets in the light of devolution proposals.
Mr Clubb, added:
We understand that these proposals represent a significant change for some traders. Over the coming months, the Council will continue to provide advice and support through our local team.
We will be in touch again to confirm the final arrangements and implementation as devolution discussions conclude.
Cllr Brodigan, who represents Ripon's Ure Bank and Spa division on North Yorkshire Council, joined forces last summer with Cllr McHardy to raise a 'save our market' petition that gathered more than 3,000 signatures.
She told the Stray Ferret:
The clock is ticking and our fight goes on.
To suggest that deferral allows for consideration of double devolution proposals by Ripon City Council is a nonsense. It will take far more than the remaining four months for these proposals to be discussed and agreed and in the meantime, what happens to the market if traders who are unable to supply and self erect their own stalls stop coming to Ripon?
Deferring the implementation of the decision by six months after consideration of stakeholder comments, does not reflect the views of the 3,086 people who signed the petition that Cllr McHardy and I raised and we repeat our call for an economic and community impact assessment to be carried out before any final decision is made.
This recommendation was supported by the Skipton and Ripon Area Constituency Committee when it met in November, but to my knowledge no assessment has been carried out,
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