Traders say they are 'being stamped on again by the council' over plans to return to Northampton's Market Square

The Market Square has been closed since February last year while contractors Stepnell carry out £12.4 million worth of refurbishment works on behalf of West Northants Council (WNC).

Meanwhile, traders have been ‘struggling’ to make a living down at the temporary market in Commercial Street car park for the past 15 months.

There now appears to be an end in sight for traders with the council confirming that the Market Square will reopen in ‘late summer’ 2024 – the last day of summer being September 22.

However, WNC’s cabinet approved the ‘Northampton Markets Development Plan’ on Tuesday (May 7) which has left many traders ‘disappointed’.

Within that report, the council say it ‘recognises’ the importance of traders who operated on Market Square or Commercial Street before the redevelopment began. To support them in the new markets, ‘eligible’ traders will receive business training, mentorship, and a six-month rent-free period for stalls and food concession pitches, according to the report. However, the report did not state who is eligible. It also transpires that free rent does not include the new cabins, which is what many of the existing traders want.

Reacting, Les Branning, of LJB Rutherfords, said: “It’s very disappointing. As existing traders I thought we’d all get six months free rent in a cabin. It seems they don’t want to give us anything. We put in the effort down here. I’ve done at least 300 days down here. To go back up there and start paying rent straight away when there's no guarantee that trade will come back. It’s not being treated fairly. Pop-up stalls and food vans are getting free rent but we get nothing if we want a cabin.

“The council has done its best to ruin our businesses and now we’re on the verge of going back they want to stamp on us again. That’s what it feels like. It’s just disappointing how the council can treat someone. No wonder the Conservatives are called the nasty party.”

Les added that he is ‘insulted’ the council are demanding business plans from traders. He said: “My business plan is I turn up every day, work all day and go home. It’s insulting. The council’s business plan promises to lose money for five years. What sort of business plan is that? My plan is to take money not lose money.”

Fruit and veg trader Hung Vo also questioned traders wanting a cabin do not get free rent for a six-month period.

Hung said: “They’re saying there’s free rent for all the food wagons and the people standing on the pop-ups. Why don’t the people wanting a cabin get free rent? When we move up the top, it doesn’t mean we will get customers straight away. Why does free rent apply to one and not the other? I’m not very happy with that. I’ve been down here 15 months. If they told us this at the beginning before we came down here that we won’t get help – I might have got a shop near the market. I stuck it out down here and it’s not fair. I feel stupid to have stayed down here."

Veteran trader Mick Andreoli said he ‘does not agree with anything the council has done’. He said “Everything is wrong. Those cabins look awful. It doesn’t look like a market. It’s like a patchwork quilt, bits of this bits of that, it’s neither one thing or the other.

"The town is filthy, no matter how many pavements you put down it doesn’t make any difference. You’ve got to encourage the people to come back into the town and the only way to do that is reduce the car parking charges and get rid of the riff raff; people are scared to come into town – this has been the issue for the last 30 years. The towns in the same position as us are the towns that are not addressing the same issues as us. The towns addressing the problem are doing alright. For example Market Harborough and Olney.

"Get rid of the druggies, the drunks, the beggars and we’ll have a town centre again.”

Florist Elliott Jones, whose family business has been on the market for over 100 years, said ‘some traders are more equal than others’.

He said: “The council has always treated market traders the same, 100 per cent the same. That’s why when businesses were moved down to Commercial Street some failed, because the council were not prepared to look at the differences. How is it that some traders get free rent and some don’t? Some traders are more equal than others. It makes no sense.”

A WNC spokeswoman said: “During the relocation to Commercial Street, the traders have received free rent and utilities, supported by extensive promotion of the market relocation and community events programme.

“The bespoke fixed stalls at the revitalised market provide a unique space for traders including electricity, power and shutters to lock their stall at the end of the day. Therefore, the pricing structure reflects the investment into the fixed stalls while offering flexible options with alternative trading opportunities. Additionally, stallholders are being supported with fit-out; see the question below.”

Multiple food vans at Northampton’s temporary market say they feel ‘betrayed’ by the council as rents to return to Market Square have reportedly ‘tripled’.