Market rents will bleed us dry
Fury over council’s demand for full payment from the months they were forced to shut
MARKET traders say they have been left to ‘bleed dry’ after their local council demanded they pay full rent for the time they spent closed during lockdown.
Most of the businesses at the inside and outside market in Ashton were forced to shut up shop for several weeks after the government ordered cafés and non-essential retailers to close.
Many traders received a £10,000 grant from the government, which has had to be used to pay for electricity bills and staff wages.
Business owners say they now face another setback after Tameside Council told them they must pay the full rent and service charge - even if their stall was closed.
Traders say they are desperate for the same support given to other markets such as those run by Bury and Bolton Council - who have seen rent scrapped.
Tameside Council said they ‘appreciate the scale of the challenge faced by businesses’ and that a payment plan can be used by struggling traders.
But with footfall at Ashton Market still down significantly, many of the small business owners say the costs are a major hit.
Kim Breen works at Wendy and
Mandy’s Café, which has been run by her mum and and auntie for 22 years, inside the market.
She says the last three months have been an ‘horrendous’ time for her family and the added burden of rent is causing them significant stress.
“We managed to stay open for a few days until Boris Johnson said that all cafés has to close and so we had to stay closed for around eight to 10 weeks,” Kim said.
Three employees at the café had to be furloughed and Wendy and Mandy were able to open for takeaway a few weeks ago.
“There was a bit of passing trade but not anywhere near the kind we had been experiencing before lockdown,” Kim said.
“We received the small business grant of £10,000 but that didn’t go very far as we still had to pay for electricity and the service charge - which went up by 2.5 per cent in April.
“We were told that the grant was not supposed to be used for rent, but to help the businesses re-open when it was allowed.
“There were machines that needed fixing because they had not been used in so long, so the grant went towards things like that.”
Kim says they were initially told by Tameside Council they would not be chased for rent, but last week received a letter telling them they had to pay by the end of the financial year.
“It’s quite frightening because we were told we had all this time to pay and now they are telling us we have to pay it back in less than a year,” Kim said.
“That’s £1,500 for every month we had to close. It has been an horrendous and stressful time and we are now at the end of our tether with the rent.”
Phil Mellish runs Suzy’s Sweet Memories, which has been selling confectionery at the market for 10 years. He is particularly annoyed he will have to pay service charges for the three months that he was forced to close his business.
“We know we can’t have everything for free but to pay the service charge when we weren’t here seems unfair,” Phil said.
“A lot of other councils have helped their markets but here we have had no help at all. They just want to bleed us dry and they are not helping us one bit.
“It’s a nightmare, we just need some help from somewhere.”
Rahal Sharif owns a kiosk on the outside market selling women’s clothes and had to close his business from the beginning of March until June 15.
“We have been off for three months and there has been no business so we can’t afford the rent,” he said.
“I had to close until June and even now business is not the same as many people still don’t feel confident to come out. It’s going to take time.
“It has affected the business a lot. We got a grant which just about saw us through the last few months it won’t cover the cost of rent.”
A Tameside Council spokesperson said: “Tameside Council does appreciate the scale of the challenge that faces all businesses during these unprecedented times.
“The Markets Management have worked in a joined up way with businesses throughout what has been a very difficult time for everyone, and this work has been recognised by the majority of traders who have given feedback that the safe systems in place have enabled trade to remain steady, in some cases exceeding expectations.
“Financial support has been offered by the Government, which includes the Small Business Grant Fund (SBGF), which has seen a 10k grant given to all traders who trade within our Market Halls and the fixed Kiosks (Ashton Market Ground) who were within their tenancy on the 11th March, 2020.
“Other schemes are also available such as the Self-employment Income Support Scheme, and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme.
“We are also offering additional support to those businesses who have been unable to resolve any outstanding amounts by agreeing to put in place a payment plan whereby payments can be made over a longer period.”