Coventry City Council will be keeping Coventry Market fees ‘low’ as angry traders protested about a £450m regeneration project. Stallholders have shared their fury over the hoardings erected for City Centre South.
Boards have been placed around Coventry Market as the major scheme, which is being led by the Hill Group, gets underway, as reported by CoventryLive. However, there has been growing angst that they have blocked off the Grade II-listed building.
Traders said the hoardings had ‘killed’ their businesses, with Terry Payne, who runs Designer Rugs, saying his profits had halved. But Coventry City Council responded by saying they are ‘working hard’ to keep the rents low, with weekly fees ranging from £60 to £130.
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Signage promoting Coventry Market will also be ‘boosted.’ But Sarah Bodger, who runs Ragdoll Crafts, told us that her business had already been badly impacted and she will soon be relocating to Leamington Spa.
Sarah said: “Hoarding is killing Coventry Market. Before they went up, my business was doing really well, I was looking at employing somebody part-time to work with me, and we have now got to the stage where I am not taking enough money to even pay the rent, and my savings are keeping my business afloat. Without help, there is going to be no one left in Coventry Market.”
She continued: “If I stay in Coventry Market, I will not have a business anymore. My savings are being depleted week by week. I have worked hard for over four years for this, and I cannot let it just go.”
Christopher Charley, of the Indoor Market Traders Committee, said: “We have lost five or maybe six stalls in practically the last four months, and over that period of time, Coventry City Council has not really done anything. We have had meetings with them and told them about what they need to be doing, and the responses have been very wishy-washy.”
Coventry City Council said it is working with the Hill Group to ensure the ‘best possible future’ for Coventry Market. Rents will also be kept ‘low’ while the redevelopment project is completed.
But Terry Payne, who runs Designer Rugs, said hit back at the level of support. He said: “Coventry City Council has done absolutely nothing, they have not engaged with us, they are fobbing us off, they are thinking we are all going to go away, and we are not. Coventry Market might go away before we go away because that is their negligence.”
A spokesman for Coventry City Council said: “Work is well underway now on City Centre South, and that is good news as it will create a new community in the city centre, providing homes and places to work, shop, and spend leisure time. We and the Hill Group will continue to work closely with traders as the scheme progresses to ensure the best possible future for Coventry Market.
“Signage is up to direct people to Coventry Market, and there is also a dedicated customer services number for the traders to use directly with the developers to talk through any issues they feel need addressing. We work hard to keep rents low, with charges varying between £60 for a new tenant to support them while they establish, and £130 a week.
“Stalls that we have lost since the hoardings went up, we would have expected to lose due to retirement this year, and we have replaced any vacant units with similar or we have new applications on the units. Coventry Market is an organic, always evolving space, and that is one of the things that makes it unique, the blend of long-standing and new offers.”
In a statement to CoventryLive, the Hill Group said: “We have worked closely over time with the Coventry Market traders to keep them fully informed on plans and progress regarding City Centre South through newsletters and drop-in sessions, and we remain fully committed to supporting them throughout every stage of the development.
“We have listened to the traders’ feedback raised around the signage, and whilst we are confident that the existing hoarding is effective in helping to guide footfall to Coventry Market, we understand that visibility from other parts of the city may be impacted. In response, we are working with Coventry City Council to introduce additional signage in key locations, specifically the Upper Precinct, the northern end of Market Way, and Queen Victoria Road. We hope that this will create greater awareness and access to Coventry Market for the wider Coventry community.”
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