Lure to attract market traders

BRISK trading on the new street markets

Income on the up; more changes in pipeline

Rent income from Oldham’s markets is going up and changes are being made to attract new traders.

Oldham Council, which recently moved the outside market stalls on to town centre streets, wants to make its charges more flexible to keep its existing traders and attract new ones.

There are 28 empty stalls on the indoor and outdoor markets. Despite 25 inquiries fewer than 10 traders signed up.

And a report from town centre manager Mark Lester says they are put off by one-off charges for succession of tenancy and changing the types of goods sold.

His report says: “In July for example, two prospective traders, each interested in two units, would have had to pay £1,600 in fees and as a result decided to trade elsewhere.”

One empty unit costs around £5,700 a year, so the one-off charges are being abolished with the aim of filling at least 50 per cent of the empty stalls.

Overall the markets service made £400,000 in 2009/10, and rent arrears have fallen by 75 per cent to under £30,000 and are continuing to fall, his report adds.

Charges for the new demountable stalls on Albion Street and Curzon Street have been set at from £25 to £40 a day for regulars depending on stall size, but discounts have been introduced for stallholders who trade on Fridays and Saturdays, at £40 to £64 for two days.

And more funding could be found to improve the existing Tommyfield outdoor market, which will become a more specialist market.

Mr Lester added: “It is hoped the new (on-street) market will not only attract shoppers in its own right but also act as a draw into the Market Hall, and then on to the open market site.”

The new rents and the abolition of fees have been approved and take effect this month.