In The News

Council’s consultation on Westminster’s street markets has started, and they would like your feedback.  Westminster says "This consultation is an important opportunity for you to help shape the future of the city’s markets, to make certain we can keep thriving local markets at the heart of our communities and ensure they provide a fantastic offer to residents, shoppers and visitors.

The consultation will run until 29 October 2018 and will include a range of events including on street surveys in the markets and drop in sessions at local venues to get feedback from a wide variety of local people. 

Key questions on the consultation
 
What does the consultation cover?
We are genuinely interested in your views on how markets in Westminster can continue to thrive. We hope residents and traders can work together to shape the future of our markets. The consultation will cover areas including how we can:

• keep markets at the heart of their communities, providing a fantastic offer to local residents

• encourage more non-street food traders to open market stalls, bringing more diversity to Westminster’s markets

• attract more tourists where this would have a positive impact on the revenue of the market traders

• recruit the next generation of traders and boost training on topics such as customer service, display, taking card payments and creating an online presence

• provide a wider selection of goods, regular new products and events

• become more sustainable by increasing recycling, reducing plastic, offering in-season food, and increasing biodegradable packaging and reusable energy

How can I take part in the market strategy consultation? 
The feedback survey is available online and accessible via all devices, including mobile phones. There will also be surveys carried out in the market so you can even take part without leaving your stall. Furthermore the council will host drop in sessions where you can discuss ideas and give feedback. Dates and locations for the events are available at https://openforum.westminster.gov.uk/street-markets
 
Why is the council proposing to change the fees and charges? 
We currently subsidise the costs of our markets by £300,000 a year, which is not sustainable. Westminster has the second lowest cost market trading pitches in London – currently £10.61 Monday to Thursday, £18.16 Friday and £24.40 Saturday. This is the first change since 2006 and covers only running costs – cleansing, waste collection and administration of licences.
 
What are the proposed changes to the daily charges?
We have designed the four suggested options below to encourage a debate around how the increased charges can be structured, ensuring that the costs are shared fairly. We aim to continue to competitive with other London markets.

• Option 1 – a standard fee of £22 per day across all markets

• Option 2 – a fee of £20 per day for non-food and fresh produce traders and a fee of £25 per day for hot food traders

• Option 3 – an area based charge: £21 per day for Church Street and Maida Hill Place, £22 per day for Strutton Ground and Tachbrook Street, £24 per day for Berwick Street and Rupert Street

• Option 4 – a staggered increase across all markets: a fee of £16 per day Monday – Thursday and £22 Friday – Saturday in year one, then a fee of £22 per day in year two across all days.

While we would like to hear your views on the four suggested options above, this is a consultation; a discussion. We therefore welcome other ideas and understand that traders across the city, from small enterprises and start-ups to more established businesses, face a diverse set of circumstances."

Full details of the consultation, including a booklet which summarises the key proposals, events and the questionnaire can be found at https://openforum.westminster.gov.uk/street-markets  If you have any queries, please email marketsconsultation@westminster.gov.uk