Councillor’s petition criticism infuriates Knaresborough and Ripon traders

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 statements made in the petition were misleading and incorrect.”

Photograph of the entrance to Harrogate Civic Centre

Harrogate Borough Council has an uneasy relationship with stallholders at its markets in Knaresborough and Ripon

The petition said:

“Harrogate Borough Council is increasing the cost of rent and stall assembly to traders by over 25 per cent. This will mean that it will not be financially viable to continue trading for several market traders.

“Other local councils helped market traders who could trade during lockdown providing essential food products. This was through charging no rent or discounting rent.

“When non-food traders were allowed to return, after not being able to trade for 3 months, full rent was charged (by HBC), despite other local councils providing financial assistance.”

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.

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However, the stallholders are unhappy about an increase of £5 plus VAT from August 1 for the supply and assembly of stalls by the council. Traders who erect their own stalls have not had to pay the additional fee.

The bid to get a council u-turn on increased charges failed, but Cllr Paraskos’s letter has reignited feelings of distrust between the traders and the council and the relationship has deteriorated.  A statement on the letter was given by HBC:

“It is not unusual for an elected member to correspond with the electorate on a range of different issues, whether related to their cabinet responsibilities or ward matters.

“In this case, it was important to set out in clear terms the council’s position on Knaresborough and Ripon markets after much mis-reporting and false claims circulating.

“There were only 747 unique names and addresses among the signatories on the petition.”

Mr Teggin told the Stray Ferret:

“I speak on behalf of stallholders, when I say attempts to undermine the petition is an insult, not only to the people who signed it, knowing it was factually correct, but to the market traders in Knaresborough and Ripon who have played an important role throughout the coronavirus crisis.

“We have already lost traders who have found the increased cost too much to bear and we cannot understand why Harrogate Borough Council treats us with such disdain.”

Brian Murphy, who represents Ripon’s stallholders, pointed out:

“The monthly invoice for rental and assembly of stalls that I paid the council in June was £550 including VAT and in August it shot up by £156 to £706 – that’s an increase of more than 25 per cent.

“I feel that with his letter, Cllr Paraskos was calling me and other market traders liars, but he has failed to substantiate in what ways the wording on our joint petition was ‘misleading and incorrect’.

“Attempting to cast doubts over a petition signed freely by the people who visit and value the markets in Ripon and Knaresborough, is yet another kick in the teeth from a council that is completely out of step with neighbouring authorities, who genuinely support and have a good relationship with stallholders.”

Empty Ripon market reveals a city in lockdown

The sparse number of stalls on Ripon market this morning told its own story of a city that had woken up to day one of covid lockdown two.

Traders selling non-essential goods cannot work again at the market for at least four weeks — adding to the 11 weeks of lost business caused by the first lockdown from March until June.

Sonya Johnson, who would normally have been at Ripon market today with her female accessories stall, said:

“It’s not good obviously because it’s the busiest time of the year. We just need to grin and bear it and hope we can reopen for December. It’s come at the worse time ever as November and December are always really busy.

“We normally have the Christmas trade to tide us over through January and February but if we come back then it could be difficult.”

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Non-essential shops attempted to maximise sales yesterday in the final few hours before lockdown.

So did salons and barbers, which stayed open late for customers desperate to get a trim.

Wetherspoon’s Unicorn Hotel – the largest pub in Ripon – offered its real ales at 99 pence a pint before it closed.

Cafes and restaurants served their last November customers in the hope they will be back in early December.

No takeaways

Oliver’s Pantry in Fishergate kept its head above water during the first lockdown by introducing a limited takeaway service, but is not doing the same this time.

Lou Grant, joint owner of the business with husband Tim, said:

“We have considered all options and made the decision to fully lockdown.

“Hopefully, we will only be closed for a few weeks. We will monitor the news and hope to be able to open again very soon with a big bang.”

A sign in the cafe’s window this morning sent a simple message to all of Ripon’s businesses – ‘Don’t quit.’

District’s market stallholders receive £8,000 grants

Market stallholders in Ripon and Knaresborough who applied for discretionary grants have each received an additional £8,000.

The payments have been welcomed but stallholders say they will continue to call for a rent reduction.

The money has come from the government’s Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund, which supports small and micro businesses affected by Covid,

Harrogate Borough Council has administered the payments, which follow an award of £2,000 each in August to stallholders who made an application.

The traders who received the unexpected additional payment are among those whose goods were classed as ‘non-essential’ at the time when the government said that only scaled-down open air markets with strict social distancing measures in place could be held.

Food stall holders, whose goods were classed as essential, were allowed to trade throughout the lockdown period.

Andrew Sutcliffe (pictured above) who sells womenswear on both Ripon and Knaresborough markets, told the Stray Ferret:

“Traders still need to look to the longer-term and the fact that the council has increased our rents by more than 25 percent, which is unacceptable in the current economic climate.

“The additional payment was unexpected and is, of course, welcome as it helps offset the losses we made in the 11 weeks when we could not stand at any market.”

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The council’s rent increase for the supply and erection of stalls it provides came into effect on August 1, prompting traders in Ripon and Knaresborough to launch a joint Save our Markets petition.

The petition, which calls on the council to reduce rents, has been signed by almost 4,000 people.

Brian Murphy, who has a fruit and vegetables stall and represents market traders in Ripon, said:

“The food suppliers who came week in, week out to markets where there were only a handful of stalls, have received absolutely nothing  – except for a rent increase. That’s why we continue to call for a reduction.”

He pointed out:

“I also trade at Otley Market, which is controlled by Leeds City Council and they have gone out of their way to help all traders, with rent-free periods and rent reductions.

“They have just announced that rents will remain reduced by 25 percent until the end of December.”

A council spokesman said 20 market traders received the grants.

The spokesman defended the rent increase:

“We wanted to introduce a more flexible way markets are run and the traders we can attract. Many traders at Knaresborough and Ripon already use self-assembly stalls at other markets they sell at where the council will not erect stalls.

“Depending on the trader, they may actually pay less this financial year. The pitch rental remains the same as 2019/20 and we have offered traders an incentive if they erect their own stalls of a £5 reduction per week.

“Those who don’t wish to erect their own stalls will pay the same rate as 2019/20 but will pay a surcharge to cover some of the costs of us erecting a stall on their behalf.

“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.”

District’s market traders receive urgent payments this week

Market stallholders in Ripon and Knaresborough who were unable to trade for 11 weeks because of coronavirus, will receive discretionary grant payments from Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) this week.

Weeks after other local authorities in Yorkshire made the urgent payments to traders, HBC has still to make payment of the £2,000 grants it agreed to pay to qualifying applicants.

In response to the question about the delay in payments of the grants compared with other local authorities, a Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson, said:

“Payments to successful applicants will be made this week.”

The spokesperson went on to point out that evidence is required from the applicant to ensure they meet the national eligibility criteria, as well as an assessment and pre-payment assurance check. The grant is primarily to support businesses with high ongoing fixed property costs, such as rent.

Traders who were classed as selling ‘non-essential’ goods were not allowed a stand for almost three months and many lost tens of thousands of pounds.

In a bid to assist them and other businesses, the government introduced the Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund on May 29, saying that grants up to £10,000 could be made – with the discretion on what applicants could receive, being in the hands of local authorities across the country.

Photo of Peter and Pat Yates who signed the petition at Ripon Market

Peter and Pat Yates who signed the petition at Ripon Market

 

The closing date for applications from market traders was June 28 and Andrew Sutcliffe, who sells women’s clothing on both Knaresborough and Ripon markets, told the Stray Ferret:

“We have been told that we are going to receive £2,000 apiece, which is smaller than grants paid to market stallholders in East Yorkshire who have received £7,500 and Hambleton, who have received £5,000 apiece.”

Mr Sutcliffe pointed out:

“If you stand at markets in two council areas, you could only apply for assistance from one local authority and those of us who applied to Harrogate, have not only received what appears to be the barest minimum grants, but they are even dragging their heels on paying them out.”

Sonya Johnson, who sells handbags, scarves and other women’s accessories, said:

“I’ve had an email  from the council saying that I will receive payment shortly, but feel that we always come last.”

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The wait for the government grants that the council is administering, comes days after it increased the cost for market stall provision and assembly, adding more than 25 percent to the cost of renting a stall.

A joint ‘Save our Markets Petition’ calling upon the council to reverse its decision, has already attracted hundreds of signatures at Ripon and Knaresborough markets and online.