Lancaster indoor market is looking to attract new traders by offering special introductory rates for a limited period.
This offer is an ideal opportunity for anyone looking to re-locate, expand or start a new retail business – but comes as news breaks that three more businesses are soon to leave.
Lancaster City Council tells us the special introductory rates include a generous discount on the first month’s rent.
To qualify for the reduced rates, traders would need to offer commodities from the following list:
Carpets and rugs, tableware, cleaning goods, electrical goods, toys and games, stationery, ornaments, vases, glassware, lighting and lamps, dried flowers/arrangements, cosmetics, cakes, bread and biscuits, garden products, plants and shrubs, garden ornaments, motor accessories, tools and DIY, sportswear, health foods, ladies and gents fashion, hardware, outdoor wear and camping, cycle accessories and picture framing.
As the City Council rolls out this start up offer, virtual-lancaster has learned that three more food retailers – Gregorys the butchers, Inglebys the bacon stall and the fishmongers – are all set to leave the Market soon, for a variety of reasons.
• For more details or an initial discussion please contact the Market Manager, Dennis Allday on 01524 66627, email dallday@lancaster.gov.uk or visit www.lancaster.gov.uk/markets
In the case of Wilson's Butchers, who felt they had been forced out due to the Council's big rate hikes (after they had fooled the traders into temporarily withdrawing their previous applications), to offer special rates to new traders is, frankly speaking, taking the p*ss.
It's a desperate act of a Council who have mismanaged the market into the ground and now want to get new traders in on short-term leases to help pay the bills until they can shut the market down completely as originally planned.
The actions of the Council and how they have messed the market traders around have been nothing short of shameful. It's bad enough when they waste money elsewhere (no, we haven't forgotten the Crinkly Bottom fiasco) but they are now destroying people's livelihoods with their mismanagement.