Town market to be privatised

Outsourcing is agreed upon

THE RUNNING of Hinckley market will be outsourced to a private company after councillors agreed to a formal procurement exercise.

The authority’s executive committee decided the 700-year-old institution would be better off run by private operators.

The move comes after council officers held several months of ‘soft market discussions’ to understand what the private sector could offer.

In a report to the executive Bill Cullen, deputy chief executive, said: “It is considered the circumstances are appropriate for a formal procurement exercise to be undertaken. The outcome of the formal procurement process will allow the authority to make an informed decision as to the future management and operational delivery arrangements.”

He said the aim was to enhance the quantity of traders and stalls to improve the overall offer to the public, increase the number of specialist markets, invest in the market’s infrastructure and so safeguard its future and develop a strong partnership with any operator appointed.

Hinckley market has been at the heart of the town for more than 700 years and is held on Castle Street and Market Place on Monday, Friday and Saturday as well as a farmers’ market on the third Thursday of every month.

A Sunday market was launched in May and will run on the fourth Sunday of the month until September.

Directly it costs the council around £122,000 a year to stage the market, primarily consisting of staff wages, national nondomestic business rates and contract cleaning.

The total cost, including support expenditure, is £158,000.

Mr Cullen said the full financial implications of any proposed contract would need to be considered before it is sanctioned to minimise risk to the council and demonstrate value for money.

Any contract is expected to be for five years with annual breakout clauses based on performance with staff looking as if they would be transferred over under TUPE rules to any new operator.

A timetable for the initiative has been outlined with a draft tender specification being drawn up in the summer ready for an advert in September with a submission deadline of November.

Any new operator is not likely to take over until next April.

In recent years the market, particularly on Fridays, has increased in stall numbers and now boasts its own website.

A shopping exercise carried out by the markets team compared a basket of goods from local stalls to a basket of the same goods from a supermarket and revealed a 20% saving.

Stalls include fruit and veg, clothes, pet goods, electronics, cards, bags, children’s items and baked goods to name but a few.