Leicester market traders feel betrayed by ‘broken promises’ after news they may never return to historic home

Traders said they felt betrayed after plans to bring Leicester Market into the 21st century were scrapped today. They accused the city’s mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, who took the decision to suspend the regeneration, of backstabbing them.

The mayor announced the break today, saying the removal of the square’s roof revealed the “huge potential” of the space previously occupied by stalls and opened up views of the heritage buildings that line the square. He said the revelation raised questions about whether installing a new covered market in the market “would be the right thing to do”.

Instead, the square could be left empty to be used as an open space that could host specialist festivals and markets, celebrations such as the recent Leicester City Football Club parade, and generally serve as “an important meeting place in the heart of the city center. “. The city’s historic fruit and vegetable market would need a new home, however, and this has caused anger and concern among those whose livelihoods depend on it.

READ MORE: Leicester Square may never return to historic home as regeneration plans ‘have stalled’

Traders moved into the Green Dragon Market in December, with promises to return to their historic home by the end of this year. They told LeicestershireLive at the time that they were not entirely convinced the plan for the new-look square would go ahead.

One trader, Odel Pittard, said today he felt he had been “stabbed in the back”. Her family has owned a market stall for generations, so for her it’s not just a job, it’s part of her heritage.

She told LeicestershireLive: “I feel like they made a lot of promises to traders and they went back on their promises. I feel like I’ve been stabbed in the back.”

She said she could understand trying to think logically about how best to enliven the town centre, but for traders, she added, it was “a big concern at the moment” and business in Green Dragon Square “is very bad “.

Some of the traders, including Mrs Pittard, were invited to a meeting this morning with the mayor to discuss the changes and during the meeting the idea of ​​using the proposed Cank Street Link as the market’s new home was floated. The link plans will see a number of buildings between Green Dragon Square and Cank Street demolished and the car park on the Cank Street side used for specialist trade.

Previous proposals to relocate the market there suggest that the entrance to the Green Dragon Market could be widened from original plans and covered over to create a new space for displaced traders.

Ms Pittard said this was not an idea they were happy with. However, one of the traders at the meeting suggested that the market would spill over into Green Dragon Square if the proposed link to Cank Street was taken forward to allow stallholders more space.

This was a better concept, she felt. However, she added that “there are a lot of issues with this market, with the drainage and the roof, that need to be fixed before that happens.”

Ms. Pittard was not the only trader unconvinced by the new proposal. Vicki Morris, who has worked at the market for 42 years, said she did not think the Cank Street relocation would work. She told LeicestershireLive: “It’s too closed. It’s not big enough. We should go back to where we love each other.”

Ms Morris added that she felt traders had been “lied to” by the council. She continued: “At the end of the day, this was only (supposed to be) temporary. This market has been around for over 700 years now.

“Why can’t we go back? That’s where we’re best known. It is a great landmark of the city. Everyone knows the market, we have won a lot of awards. We should be given back.”

Paul Abbott has worked in the market since he was 16 years old. He said he “knew from day one” that traders would not return to the Square, so while he felt “betrayed” by the news, he was “not surprised”.

Another trader, Nitin Gohil, who has a key-cutting stall, said traders need to see “more concrete plans” to know where they stand. He said: “If we had more concrete plans and a longer timescale it would help. Just a little more openness. We are the heart of the market and we need to know where we are and what to tell our customers.”

Mr Gohil said he only opened his stall before Christmas when traders moved to the Green Dragon Market. He said it was “a struggle”.

“It doesn’t seem to be helping us,” he said. “They keep changing their minds and not doing what they promise, like advertising and bringing people here. Do not help.”

Sir Peter said: “I met with representatives of market traders this morning (Wednesday) to explain my change of mind and to talk about ideas. While I fully appreciate their concerns about the disruption of work on site, I hope I have been able to convey that I believe we have an opportunity to make a good scheme even better.

“The proposed site for Leicester Square is a new opening which would link Market Place to Cank Street and the shops and bars of St Martin’s Square. So the crowds would be high – and the market’s proximity to the popular Food Hall would create a strong food-themed destination.

“With Marks and Spencer announcing the closure of its Gallowtree Gate store and town centers everywhere becoming less dependent on traditional retail, it is clear that Leicester city center must continue to evolve to ensure it continues to be a that people want to visit – and I want to invest in.”

He added: “This new proposal would give our market traders the clean, contemporary and attractive market area they need – and give the town a stunning open space that could become home to the Christmas ice rink, summer beach, performances live, outdoor cinema, food and drink festivals, national holidays and even open bus parades for our brilliant sports clubs.

“Of course there would be work to modernize and refurbish the beautiful old buildings that surround the space and to attract the cafes and bars that would help liven it up, but our intention would be to seek funding to support the conservation work. and work with development partners to bring new life to the area.

“I am now convinced that the right thing to do is to stop work on the current scheme to give people a chance to have their say and I look forward to hearing those views.”

However, the Leicester Conservative Party, the main opposition on Leicester City Council, is less convinced. Leader Hemant Rae Bhatia said: “The Conservative group is shocked by the decision to stop the development of the market. Substantial funds have already been invested and it is unacceptable for the council to squander even more resources, especially given our difficult financial situation and looming bankruptcy.

“During the initial consultation with traders, why were these issues not addressed? This oversight raises serious questions about the board’s decision-making process. Has the city mayor intentionally hidden his plans behind the Cank Street planning application?

“It is completely unprofessional and financially irresponsible to do so, leaving our traders and our town center in an unacceptable state of further uncertainty.”