BROMSGROVE’S High Street Market will come back under district council control following two meetings about its future tonight.
At the Overview and Scrutiny meeting, two options were discussed – to continue to tender the market to a private company or for the authority to run it.
A third option, which would see the traders form a co-operative to run the market, would have to be considered as part of option one with the group having to compete for the tender with private firms.
Discussions ensued with contributions from councillors of all parties, Gin Sidhu representing the market traders and Dean Piper from North Worcestershire Economic Development and Regeneration (NWEDR) which was previously in charge of the tendering process.
The market was first tendered in 2015 to find a firm to run three markets a week, along with speciality and themed events. There were four applications and in February 2016 CJ Events was given a five-year lease.
Last year, the company announced the market was ‘not financially viable’ and gave notice to end its partnership. That will end on June 4.
Mr Piper from NWEDR outlined the report and said it was the officers’ opinion the benefits of running it ‘in house’ did not outweigh the risk and it would be best to put it out to tender.
Coun Karen May, whose portfolio covers the town centre, thanked the many market traders who filled the public gallery and said: “Bromsgrove is a market town and has been since the 1200s.
“We are committed to the market which is definitely viable.
“I think we should bring it back under council control.”
Coun Michael Thompson, who first called for the council to control the market, thanked Coun May and reiterated previous comments he thought the report was biased towards it being run privately.
“I’m really happy we can have the courage to change our mind and work together to do what’s best for the town.
“We ran it five years ago so we can run it again.”
Mr Sidhu said he felt the traders could run it themselves as a co-operative and could generate £630 profit per week which they would return to the council.
“My dad has been trading for 51 years.
“We wouldn’t be putting this forward with our reputation at stake if we did not believe it would work.
“We are committed to this cause.”
He said some councils which operated markets would point to spaces each time and ‘tell traders to go there and there’ but the Bromsgrove traders would run it in a more organised way.
Coun Steve Colella echoed Mr Sidhu’s comments, saying it was in the market traders’ interests to run it as a going concern.
It was also mooted a not-for-profit organisation could be set up by the traders to run the market so, as suggested by Mr Sidhu, the profits could be returned to the council.
A recommendation was put forward for the council to take control of the market until the end of the five-year lease CJ Events had, with a view to working with the traders to set up the co-operative after that.
It was voted through unanimously by members and the cabinet, which met afterwards to discuss the recommendation, voted it through.
The process will now begin to bring the market back under the council’s control, including recruiting staff and sorting out the stalls, vehicles and other aspects needed.
Mr Sidhu told The Standard afterwards: “It’s great for the future of the town and great for the future of the traders.
“Finally we have a good decision for the market.”
And Coun May added: “It was the outcome we wanted.”
