'Special treatment' for stallholders angers Blackburn market traders
4:00pm Friday 15th March 2013 in News
By Bill Jacobs, Local government reporter
BLACKBURN market traders are furious over alleged ‘special treatment’ for Artisan Row ‘trial’ stallholders.
They have complained to manager Keith Holden after he sent out a letter reminding them to pay a backdated service charge rise.
The traders are angry over a new free seating area for Artisan Row customers when some pay £300 a month for a shared table area near their takeaway food stalls.
They claim that some incubator stallholders appear to be using the £50 a month cheap rents to become permanent market traders without signing long leases at full rents of £500 to £2,000 a month.
Claire Khan, of Well Bread, and Sharon Aharoni, of the neigh-bouring deli stall, pay £300 a month for use of the shared seating. They are angry at the new seating and eating area on a nearby aisle.
Mrs Khan said: “We pay hundreds of pounds a year for our seating and people on Artisan Row are getting it for nothing. It’s just not fair.”
Miss Aharoni said: “Some of the incubator stalls have been there since last summer. I thought it was six months maximum and then they pay full rent or are out.”
Daniel Moffett, of Butler’s Family Restaurant, said: “Traders are very unhappy about the increased service charge, even with a 50 per cent reduction. Many are con-sidering refusing to pay.”
The council reduced the new fees and halved the retrospective increase for last year. Under the original plan the annual cost would have risen to £19.90 or £21.90 per square foot. They were reduced to £19.14 or £21.14 per square foot. The backdating of £600 plus was halved.
Mark Smith, the man behind Artisan Row, said: “The new seating is not for Artisan Row stallholders but for customers of every trader and the time limit for Artisan Row was always nine months, not six.”
Comments(12)
woolywords
says...
5:02pm Fri 15 Mar 13
Am sorry to say that, you have lost my custom, as I don't think that amount of muck would be acceptable in any food establishment that the council inspectors visit, but since it's their own, what can one expect. A case of, do as we say, not as we do.
ex council slave
says...
5:48pm Fri 15 Mar 13
I_Love_Mommy
says...
7:02pm Fri 15 Mar 13
ex council slave wrote:I had to Google it to find out, basically it is the name of a scheme whereby they are given support and the chance to succeed as a new business with minimal overheads.
I wonder what they are selling?
happycyclist
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8:41pm Fri 15 Mar 13
2 for 5p
says...
9:32pm Fri 15 Mar 13
Market stall holders moaning they have always been doing that, even when they were back in the old market hall.
Rents to much, rubish not removed, maintenance, the list is endless.
Basically they think the world owes them a living.
Far East Calling
says...
3:51am Sat 16 Mar 13
sickofthisrubbish
says...
5:02am Sat 16 Mar 13
With a brain dead design and over empathize minimalist look?, the markets state of the art!.
In the way of the paperwork and government grants, And slush fund build contracts.
Plus a smattering of legal contracts that have all cost found by the contract;e( you win you lose)
And the pore tormented well payed sole who played golf wile drawing up the plans, the design that created this warehouse structure of wonderfully pointless expenses to the town?.
You all should be proud of what our bland sick fanatic anal council is doing.( pushing the bounds in pointless wast and self enrichment?.))
Self improvement plans to eradicate Blackburn history,,,,??!.
its Blackburn equivalent to Coventry! and it took the Luftwaffe to remodel Coventry ?.( should nt say it, but the Luftwaffe did a better job!)
woolywords
says...
9:15am Sat 16 Mar 13
However, someone has changed the lights that failed in the last few months and I refuse to believe that they did not notice the build up of dust up there and then not pass comment about it.
Anyone, with a modicum of sense, would realise that it was not right, especially with foodstuffs on open display below.
People are employed to supervise the cleansing of that whole area, not just part of it. How can you look up, notice a bulb has gone and not notice all that dust? They are the people who should be taken to task about this, as they have no excuse. The Market Manager has a duty of care to all persons Health and Safety, be they the stallholders, the cleaners or the customer and should know this without the need to be told. It is to me, a patent dereliction of duty and requires immediate redress, not some, 'Oh we'll get around to it.'
As I said in my opening remarks, this has been left for months and no doubt, will not be tackled for many more. Meanwhile, feel free to buy food that has all the hygienic standards of a building site.
ex council slave
says...
10:47am Sat 16 Mar 13
2 for 5p
says...
8:00pm Sat 16 Mar 13
2 for 5p
says...
8:00pm Sat 16 Mar 13
ex council slave says...
4:49pm Fri 15 Mar 13