Trader 'resigned' to demolition of Leicester's indoor market
A trader who launched a petition to stop the demolition of Leicester's indoor market has said he has little hope of success.
Michael Montgomery's petition has more than 300 signatures calling for the city mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, not to pull the 1970s structure down.
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Leicester's indoor market
However, he said the damage had already been done.
He said: "So many people have already left the indoor market. There's another who left on Friday and another going at the end of this week.
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"I don't think the petition will do any good, but people are still signing it to say they're not happy.
"I think it's a great shame."
The market is set to be replaced with a public square, with the fish and meat sellers relocated to a purpose-built pavilion next to the Corn Exchange on what is now Market Corner.
However, about 30 traders in the upper floors of the five-storey indoor market building fear they will not be able to afford the rents in the lock-up units Leicester City Council is proposing to create for them elsewhere in the market.
Photographer Mr Montgomery, who has run Studio B1 for seven months, said: "There are new units being built for us but they are going to cost more. I'm thinking of moving into a shop instead, but my rent will go up from about £2,600 to £12,000 a year, so it's a big jump.
"I'd still like the council to think again but I think people are resigned to it now."
Other traders, including Richard Lebutt, who runs The Toy Shack, and Vic Lee, of County Yarns Wool Shop, have backed Michael's campaign.
Mr Lebutt, who opened his business in July last year, said: "The idea for this place is awful.
"It's heartbreaking. We won't be able to afford the new units so we'll have to close.
"The meat and fish traders get a new building but we are out on our ears. Nobody from the council has been to talk to us."
A consultation on the demolition ended on February 22.
Sir Peter said there was no chance he would keep the indoor market.
"The place is squalid," he said. "If it ever was fit for purpose, it's certainly not now.
"We are working with all of the traders to meet their very different needs.
"Some are looking to move into the new lock-up units we're providing and others are moving into shops.
"The last thing we want to do is threaten the viability of the businesses.
"Where businesses don't have the money for higher rents, we want to help them increase their turnover and their viability."
8 Comments
by Olwyn
Monday, April 08 2013, 10:36PM
“The City Council is fast becoming an irrelevance. We now have a dictatorship of one. What Pete says goes and the voters can only blame themselves for being so stupid!!”
by ZooLander
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 12:53PM
“A new market it seems then, why is the mayor so obsessive about changing the market and most of Leicester?”
by Pollyanna
Tuesday, March 19 2013, 11:40AM
“Get rid of the smelly old place, the fish odour contaminated everything.”
by democrat
Monday, March 18 2013, 2:26PM
“Peter Soulsby has been at the heart of the slow descent of Leicester for many years. Yet we are expected to both forget his past failures whilst believing that he can plot a course to future success.
Its like asking the arsonist to put out the fire.”
by cjt72
Monday, March 18 2013, 11:33AM
“Sir Peter was elected to Leicester Council in 1974, and the "squalid" indoor market was completed in 1975.
In 1974, Leicester's road network looked like this: http://tinyurl.com/bn26kre
Sir Peter calls that vandalism, but his council then continued to create the midlands' second worst inner ring road.
So 39 years after he was first elected, he's going to push ahead with his grand plan.”
by Meerkat_uk
Monday, March 18 2013, 9:55AM
“Here we go again. "Pete Knows Best" That man needs to put under control. How do the Labour Councillors sleep at night knowing the damage he is doing to them and the businesses in our city.
Keep it up Pete your doing a great job of killing the businesses and causing traffic problems in our City, by removing a vehicle lane to widen the path in Newarke Street and the creation of parks at the Indoor Market and Jubilee Square. Is this something to do with De Montfort University?”
by Meerkat_uk
Monday, March 18 2013, 9:47AM
“Here we go again…. "Pete Knows Best" That man needs to put under control. How do the Labour Councillors sleep at night knowing the damage he is doing to the businesses in our city.
Keep it up Pete your doing a great job of killing the businesses and causing traffic problems in our City, by removing a vehicle lane to widen the path in Newarke Street and the creation of parks at the Indoor Market and Jubilee Square all for the students of De Montfort University.”
by Meerkat_uk
Monday, March 18 2013, 9:33AM
“Here we go again…. "Pete Knows Best" That man needs to put under control. How do the Labour Councillors sleep at night knowing the damage he is doing to the businesses in our city.
Keep it up Pete your doing a great job of killing the businesses and creating wider paths (Newark Street, Jubilee Square) and parks (Indoor Market, Jubilee Square) for the students of De Montfort University.”