Wolverhampton market traders: We needed more notice on rent rise

Traders at Wolverhampton and Bilston markets will have their rent fees put up by five per cent as of April 1, but Bilston traders say the council did not properly consult with them ahead of agreeing the new terms.

Bilston market stall owner Jag Sandhu has put together a petition demanding that rent is frozen for 2015.

However, the council has said the money is needed to help cover £750,000 improvements to the indoor market at Bilston, £500,000 of which has been spent on a new air conditioning system, with the rest covering an electrics upgrade.

The traders petition states: "Wolverhampton City Council, due to general financial shortfalls in their council budget, have decided to increase the stall rents in 2015, yet again by an over-inflationary percentage, without any proper consultation, prior knowledge and also without communication with Wolverhampton market traders."

"This is happening even though a petitions committee in June 2014 recommended that a relationship protocol is drawn up between traders and council employees and to incorporate a level of consultation before the rent review next year.

"We feel the council haven't followed the petition committee's recommendation and hastily increased rent for traders.

"They are not giving the traders representatives the opportunity to help cut costs on the day to day running of the markets so that our rents will not increase in 2015.

"The increase in our already substantial over heads would put the majority of the traders in risk of losing their business or be forced to move elsewhere."

Wolverhampton city Council said a Bilston Market traders meeting was held on September 1 last year to discuss proposed rent increases.

councillor John Reynolds , city services chief, said the five per cent increase was outlined at a meeting in October. He said another meeting was due in November for traders to put forward ideas for savings to offset the increase but they were not ready to put forward proposals.

Mr Reynolds added that a meeting last week confirmed the increase and traders did put forward some money-saving ideas and these would be considered by the council over the coming days.

"That meeting was cancelled by traders' representatives and rearranged for October 20 when we outlined the proposals for a five per cent increase," he said.

"At that meeting, traders were encouraged to submit any ideas that they may have had to make any savings which could help offset the need for rent increases.

"We arranged a further meeting for November 4 to discuss their ideas but this was cancelled by mutual consent as the traders' representatives were not in a position to put forward proposals.

"They suggested the meeting be arranged for January, but were advised that they would need to be put their ideas forward before this in order to give us time to see if their proposals were viable.

"Representatives at the meeting on Monday – at which the proposed increase was confirmed – did put forward some money saving ideas which the council will now consider over the coming days."