Local authority leaders look ready to proceed with substantial rent increases for businesses at Bristol's renowned St Nick's Market – even though the council's own report warns it could put traders out of business.
Thousands of individuals who visit the famous city centre market and street food venue have signed a petition, but council officers are recommending their proposal to raise rents to meet stringent new revenue targets.
The future of St Nick's Market, which spans from the traditional clothes, gifts and collectibles market in the historic Corn Exchange building to the alleyways of street food that attract millions of visitors annually, will be decided by councillors next Monday.
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A report presented to the council's Economy and Skills Committee by City Hall officers outlines how councillors set them a target last December to find a way to increase rents from the traders there by £150,000 a year, and up to £265,000 within five years.
An initial option to charge everyone a percentage fee on all their sales was firmly rejected by the traders at the beginning of this year, leading council officers to return with a second suggestion.
This would involve a revaluation of how traders at St Nicks pay for their stalls, based solely on size and location. While some may end up paying less, many others could face more than double the current fees, with rates increasing by 20 per cent each year for five years, reports .
Traders at St Nick's Market told Bristol Live last week that, whilst they all endorsed the concept of charges based on stall dimensions, the council's consultation regarding the proposal contained a built-in rental increase to achieve the £150,000 objective, and those businesses surveyed weren't offered the choice of supporting the alteration without the substantial price rises.
Consequently, the report for councillors ahead of Monday's meeting notes: "The majority of responses received strongly disagreed with the proposed fee model overall."
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The document suggests proceeding regardless, contrary to the traders' preferences, but cautions that it might force some enterprises to close. Within a 'risks and mitigations' portion of the report, council officials stated: "If the recommendation is approved, businesses may struggle financially and some may cease trading. The numbers of businesses struggling financially may increase through years 1-5.
"If the recommendation is approved, the council risks higher vacancy levels at the market, leading to financial losses from reduction in licence fee revenue," it continued.
A written petition has attracted thousands of signatures within the market over recent weeks, alongside more than a thousand online supporters. "We're all for making the rents fairer, but the issue is the council are using this change to take more money from St Nick's," said Lynn Hanby, who has run the Aardvark arts and crafts stall for 34 years.
"At first they said they wanted this process to bring an extra £115,000 a year to the council, and then they moved the goalposts and said they want it to increase the amount the council receives by £265,000."
St Nick's Market appears in virtually every Bristol tourist video blog, and is consistently featured in all the 'spend a day in Bristol' travel guides. The venue comprises three separate sections - a conventional market stall arrangement in the main Exchange Hall building, a Covered Market primarily housing services and retail outlets, and the Glass Arcade where the renowned street food vendors and enterprises operate.
Throughout the years, market administrators have filled empty pitches with varying rental agreements, resulting in significant disparities across all sections with some traders paying more than others for comparable locations.
"We welcome the idea of levelling it all out, but this should be done fairly in a way which keeps things affordable," said Lynn. "The market already makes the council money - they get £55,000 more in rents every year than it costs the council to run the place, so we really don't understand why they need to raise that to £265,000.
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"Many businesses which are hit hardest simply won't survive and the council are not hearing that. That's going to change the nature of St Nick's."
There has been fierce criticism regarding how the council has conducted consultations about St Nicks' future. Lynn said: "They made sure there was no way of agreeing to the idea of making the rents fairer through a simple square foot area system, without also agreeing at the same time to the massive rent hikes.
"We don't feel we've been properly heard. They've listened to us, but they are not hearing what we are saying. They are not really valuing St Nick's for its contribution to the city and all the tourists it brings in."
Cllr Andrew Brown (Lib Dem, Hengrove and Whitchurch Park), who chairs the committee set to decide on Monday's report, maintained last week that the council has 'been working with' St Nicks businesses.
"Feedback from the second phase of consultation was used to inform the decision to introduce the proposed new fee model in stages over five years, allowing business owners to adjust gradually and have time to prepare," he said.
"Adjustments could include changing their footprint in the market, for example, and the team are happy to engage with traders on a one-to-one level to help traders adapt. Proposed fee increases will vary across the market from 5 to 20 per cent per year.
"I have also been clear that the situation should be kept under review, that the service should seek to find and expand other income streams, that funds should be reinvested into the market to improve its facilities, and that the Council's property team should make better use of the upstairs space of the Corn Exchange to both increase income and footfall.
"When we meet, the Economy and Skills Policy Committee will consider all responses to the consultation before making a final decision on the proposals," he added.