Struggling market traders are up in arms after the council announced it was increasing pitching fees.
“Things are hard enough already,” said East Street Market trader Ray Jones. “Why are the council putting rent up with the economic climate as it is?”
Ray – who calls himself Ray Peanuts – has been selling nuts at the market for 51 years, having taken over the stall from his grandmother in the 1970s.
A full week pitch at East Street Market will increase in price from £300 to £312 pounds per month from April. Meanwhile, the costs for fruit and veg stalls are set to rise by more than four per cent from £350 to £365.
The council announced these changes in its 2022 – 23 budget published this week.
“We greatly value our wonderful markets and the traders who run stalls in the borough. This small increase is in line with general fees for trade spaces in London, which we regularly benchmark,” said Cllr Jason Ochere, cabinet member for jobs, businesses and town centres.
These increases are in line with inflation, although the council has frozen many other fees it charges.
Despite seeming small, Ray, who lives in Kent and commutes to the market every day, said that fee increases were adding to his already tough financial situation.
“Soon it won’t be worth coming to work anymore,” he said. “Prices of goods have gone up, fuels gone up, parking charges gone up.”
“The only thing that hasn’t gone up is my wages.”
Ray believed the jump in fees was threatening the long-term viability of the East Street Market, which is already struggling.
Many traders have exited the market in recent years amid Covid restrictions, and he fears the larger fees will not encourage them back.
“If there’s fewer traders, there’s fewer people. It snowballs,” says Ray.
He believed that instead of “making life more difficult” local authorities should “help out” traders with a “goodwill gesture” and support all stall owners with a small grant to help keep them afloat.
Another seller at East Street, who wished to remain anonymous, also complained about the fee increase.
“We don’t want it. The extra costs add so much pressure on me to work. I don’t get sick pay, holidays or anything like that. I must work every day.”
They saw fee increases as aggravating an already “very, very difficult” set of problems for traders, including the pandemic and worsening weather due to climate change.
“I am not making enough to make ends meet as it is. I am not breaking even,” they continued.
Yet the trader said the existence of the market was important for local people as it offered cheaper goods than in the high street.
They added: “We need help, not stuff that makes our lives more difficult. We are good for this community.”
Ray said: We want things to stay the same for the time being. We do not know what the future holds.”