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.
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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.”
Brian Murphy at his stall on Ripon Market.
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.”
Knaresborough and Ripon market traders launch petition
A joint ‘save our markets’ petition will be raised by traders in Knaresborough and Ripon, who say above inflation rent increases will make them financially unviable in both centres.
The joint action by Knaresborough and Ripon traders comes after Harrogate Borough Council confirmed the cost per stall is to increase by more than 25 percent.
David Tomlinson, who sells stationery and is a spokesman for Knaresborough stallholders, told The Stray Ferret:
“The last time Knaresborough Market was under threat, we raised a petition of more than 3,000 names and there was a meeting at Knaresborough House in December 2017 that attracted so many people who were against the council’s plans, that they backed down.”
A stall at Knaresborough Market
The 2017 plans involved the ending of council-supplied stalls and meant all traders would have to provide their own. It was a proposal that the majority of traders found unacceptable.
Mr Tomlinson, said:
“I hope the council will see sense and realise that putting rents up is not the answer, it will make many stallholders financially unviable and force their withdrawal from the markets here and in Ripon, making both less attractive to the shoppers we are desperately trying to win back.”
He added:
“Even though social distancing rules have been relaxed, the COVID-19 pandemic is not over and some regular customers – particularly the elderly – are staying away as they remain self-isolated. Others do not want to travel to Knaresborough on public transport and the coaches that used to bring in trips on market day are not running at present.”
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Among traders who will be asking the public to support a petition is Sonya Johnson, who sells women’s handbags and accessories at both Ripon and Knaresborough markets.
She, said:
“I wasn’t able to trade for 11 weeks and since I came back my takings have been down by 70 per cent. I did a little better in Knaresborough yesterday, but if I make a loss in Ripon today, I am seriously considering not coming here again.”
A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council, said
Ripon and Knaresborough market traders face rent increase“The costs for market stallholders, that were agreed in February and put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic, will be introduced from August 1st now that markets are able to trade normally.
“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 the costs of us erecting a stall on their behalf.”
Market traders in Ripon and Knaresborough who were hoping for financial help from Harrogate Borough Council, face a rent increase of more than 25% this summer.
Before the coronavirus crisis hit the economy of the Harrogate district, the council had agreed its budget for 2020-2021, which included a rent rise for stall holders, which should have come into effect on April 1st – but was put on hold.
The council’s market rates for Ripon and Knaresborough as published on its website, show that from July, the summer rental for regular traders will rise from £19.50 to £24.50 and the winter rate increase from £16.40 to £21.40. This additional £5 is to cover the setting up of the stalls by the council, and will be charged per stall rather than per market trader.
Dave Tomlinson, trades on Knaresborough market and said:
“Its quite depressing really, all the other markets seem to be helping us apart from HBC. It’s pretty appalling and the morale is way down. The council are very shortsighted because if they continue to put the rent up they will lose traders. I know for a fact we’d lose two traders and maybe even two more and thats a lot of money to lose.”
At Wednesday’s full council meeting, Councillor Andrew Paraskos, cabinet member for environment, waste reduction and recycling, whose portfolio covers the markets in the Harrogate district, said that rates would be held at the 2019-2020 level “until the end of July”.
Knaresborough Market, bouncing back quicker than Ripon
The Stray Ferret asked the council when the new rates will come into effect, but was still awaiting clarification at the time of publication.
On Wednesday, Cllr Paraskos pointed out that a number of measures have been put in place by the council to both support market traders and promote the markets, including waiving of fees for traders unable to attend because of government restrictions and promotion of market days on social media.
He added:
“There has been a rumour going around that Harrogate Borough Council is wanting to get rid of the markets. This is not true.”
The Ripon stallholders representative, Brian Murphy, said:
“After the financial struggle many have experienced, including those non-food traders who didn’t earn a penny for 11 weeks of lockdown, any rent increase will feel like a kick in the teeth.”
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The discussion on market rents was prompted by Ripon Independent Councillor Pauline McHardy, who submitted a written question calling on the council to follow the lead of neighbouring local authorities. Other local authorities had given rent holidays reductions to help traders post lockdown.
As well as asking for stall holders to be provided with rent-free periods or reductions for a given time, Cllr McHardy, said:
“I hope that the council is not planning rent increases this year or next.”
Cllr McHardy has invited Cllr Paraskos and Cllr Graham Swift, the council’s cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development, to visit Ripon Market with her and speak with traders.