Agenda item

The Director of Commercial & Operational Services presented the final report of the evening, with the purpose of supporting the delivery and viability of Gainsborough Market by adopting revised Market Trader Terms and Conditions. He explained that work continued on the three-year Markets Action Plan, linked with the Levelling Up and UKSPF funding streams to further develop the offer in Gainsborough Town Centre. He noted that whilst the work had stabilised the number of traders attending the market, there had not been an increase in those numbers.

The Committee was advised that the newly formed Members’ Markets Working Group had met on two occasions and had been seeking new and innovative ways to stimulate demand for stalls on the Markets. A key focus for the working group had been to explore the potential to improve the market offering in the short term through speciality markets. In recent months, the Council had received requests from operators to host specialist markets themselves, and recent conversations with potential traders had suggested that to allow the ‘experts’ to manage speciality markets by using their connections and relationships within particular sectors would enable an more commercial model to operate. To date these had included a small vegan market offering and a larger antiques market proposal.

There was a general desire to enable these proposals to be delivered in order to support the general market, however this was not possible within the constraints of the existing Market Trader Rules and Regulations. It was highlighted, however, that recent changes to the Fees and Charges regime approved by the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee in November 2023 did allow for a reduction of stall rents of £7 per stall for traders who could deliver 25+ stalls. Further changes to the Rules and Regulations were needed to allow these operations to take place.

The proposed Rules and Regulations provided to Members at Appendix 1 within the published reports would allow operators to apply to sub-let stalls above a minimum level of eight stalls, subject to agreement by Council officers. Any operator proposing to deliver between 25 and 60 stalls would be deemed to be a Specialist Market Operator and additional conditions would apply. Most importantly, an Event Plan for this specialist Market should be delivered to the West Lindsey Safety Advisory Group (SAG) in a timely manner, this being the same process for any event organiser in West Lindsey, and would ensure the operator would receive and implement recommendations from the SAG ahead of the event taking place.

A wider review of the Rules and Regulations had also been undertaken, therefore bringing them fully up to date with current working practices. It was explained that the Member Markets Working Group had considered the new Rules and Regulations and recommended to the Prosperous Communities Committee the approval of the amended Rules and Regulations, and for minor changes to be delegated to the Director of Commercial and Operational Services following consultation with the Chairman of Prosperous Communities Committee.

The Chairman thanked Officers for their work and highlighted an exciting time for the prospects of the markets. Members of the Committee echoed the positive approach and the incentives for small businesses to be involved.

Having been proposed, seconded and voted upon it was unanimously

            RESOLVED that

a)    the refreshed Gainsborough Market Trader Rules and Regulations (as at Appendix 1 of the report) be approved; and

b)    minor changes to the Rules and Regulations be delegated to the Director of Commercial and Operational Services following consultation with the Chairman of Prosperous Communities Committee.