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.”