Liverpool Council’s cabinet has approved plans to start charging traders rent at St John’s Market despite anger over the proposal from traders.
Senior councillors approved the proposals this morning, bringing an end to rent waivers which have been in place since 2017.
Lib Dem leader Richard Kemp criticised the plans last week, saying that reintroducing rents again during a lockdown when many traders were struggling would lead to the market’s demise.
Cabinet member Sharon Connor, who oversees the city’s markets, said the council’s financial position meant the current arrangement was unsustainable and said she was committed to the market’s future.
She said government cuts to the council’s budget since 2010, with the prospect of more to come, had forced the council’s hand.
Cllr Connor said: “For the future and sustainability of the market we are reintroducing the rent and service charge.
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“I’ve met with traders and we’ve discussed the matter. We’ve put in place support for individual traders along with developing a joint working plan to ensure that the market is sustainable going forward.”
St John’s Market has struggled in recent years, with many traders blaming a botched renovation. The work on the building cost the council £2.5m.
Mayor Joe Anderson admitted in 2017 that the overhaul, which left the market with lower footfall, had not worked and the council has waived rents since then.
Cllr Kemp said last week that councillors would currently struggle to pay rents and could be forced out under the plans to reintroduce rents.
He said: “To start introducing a rent and service charge when 95% of the market is being closed due to lockdown is an incredibly stupid thing to do. How the traders will pay these with no income is beyond me.
“More importantly in the long term even when the situation returns to normal the rents and service charge will be too high for the likely takings in the market. It was doing badly even before the virus struck.
“It is badly designed and unattractive. It is now clear that there will be considerably less footfall in the City Centre as people have begun to explore different ways of shopping and more workers will now work from home.”
