Nottingham City Council says it is “confident” it can minimise the risk of a legal challenge over the closure of the Victoria Centre Market after traders said they would refuse to leave without a fight.
In June the Labour-run council announced it was still planning to close the market, and said it would no longer use taxpayers’ money to subsidise it.
The council, which declared effective bankruptcy in November, first said it was planning to end the lease two years ago in a bid to save £39m over the remaining 50 years of its term.
However, negotiations with the shopping centre’s management, Global Mutual, fell through and the council is pressing ahead with the closure despite not securing an exit deal.
Traders claim the council has deliberately under-invested in the market to close it and say they have been badly treated.
During Full Council on Monday, July 8, the council was questioned over how it would deal with any potential legal challenge.
Cllr Kevin Clarke, the leader of the Nottingham Independents and Independent Group, said:
“Following reconfirmation last month of the decision to withdraw all subsidies from the Victoria Centre Market, can the executive member confirm whether any savings generated from this make any provision for the prospect of legal action from market traders seeking to challenge their forthcoming evictions?”
Cllr Sam Lux, the executive member for carbon reduction, leisure and culture said: “I’d like to reassure Cllr Clarke any action taken by the council will be in compliance with traders’ agreements and the law. The council is confident this will minimise the risk of any legal challenge.
“Of course each trader’s circumstance is different and it would be inappropriate to discuss individual details in a public forum.”
John Easom, of Gold Bank Jewellers, said he is now looking for legal representation.
He said: “The utter contempt the council holds for the market traders is absolutely disgusting,”
“I personally have repeatedly asked for meetings with Cllr Lux and have been roundly ignored.
“You cannot ban new traders coming in for three years, the only income for the market, then state you need to close as you can no longer make the market pay.
“It only doesn’t pay because they won’t take new traders on. They need to address this before anything else.
“They have announced to the press at [many] times the market is closing and nothing has been put in place to make this happen.
“Surely they should have planned the closure and then approached the traders? Not the other way around. And they still have no plan. How many times do they announce closure before actually closing?”
New traders were welcomed to the market for a period on short-term leases, but the council soon U-turned on the move, leaving traders confused.
Mr Easom said the market could be successful with good management and the establishment of new businesses.
However, the council says the condition of the market is also poor, and surveys had estimated the costs of repair work range from anywhere between £2m and £10m.
During Full Council Cllr Clarke added: “Will the executive member explain why last month’s meeting with the traders was still ongoing while Nottingham Labour’s Twitter feed broadcast the outcome before the meeting concluded?
“Does she not think it was either, at best, disrespectful, or at worst showing utter contempt for the market traders?”
Cllr Lux added she believes mistakes have been made with the communications with market traders and committed to being transparent going forward.
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