Market stall fees drop in bid to increase uptake

The cost of renting a market stall in a town is set to fall dramatically after the local authority compared the site's charges to other areas.

Burton Market was found to have the second highest charges out of 44 English markets, but a new trial will see costs drop by more than half on certain days.

Prices will be fixed at £12 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays for all indoor and outdoor stalls for the next six months.

The market in Burton-upon-Trent currently charges £27.50 on Thursdays and £18.80 on Fridays and Saturdays.

East Staffordshire Borough Council, which compared the prices, said it hoped the trial would encourage more traders to take up a stall at the market.

Bosses said they would need to increase occupancy rates, however, to cover their costs at the new rates.

If occupancy levels stay the same, the council could lose about £1,500 over the six-month trial period.

Bosses estimated that occupancy could increase to 514 stalls over the period between April and September from the current projection of 428.

The outdoor market, in the same period, could see a projected 282 stalls increased to 338 stall occupancy.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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