‘It’s absolutely disgusting’: Traders' anger as they claim Dinnington market faces ‘extortionate’ price hike

Traders at Dinnington Outdoor Market claim they are being forced out after an “extortionate” rent increase by the council.

Dinnington Outdoor Market has stood in the town centre for decades, and is due to be temporarily relocated as part of Rotherham Council’s plans to regenerate the town.

The market has recently come under new ownership, and the land it sits on has been purchased by the council for the regeneration.

The £13.3m scheme will see new stalls put in the market this week, and traders say they were initially told by the council they would be given free rent of the stalls until Christmas to compensate for any disturbance.

Now, they allege they are being asked to pay £25 per stall for the new operator to put, and take down, the new gazebos every day.

Claire Andrews sells bath products at the market and is deeply upset by how the Council has handled the move of the market.

She said: “There’s no clear communication and I have absolutely no idea what is happening.

“There’s nothing in writing, there’s nothing been signed and I really don’t know what’s happening.

“This is the only market I do because it’s affordable but it’s going to end up me having to stop coming.”

“Whether there’ll be a market next week or not, we don’t know.”

Ms Andrews explains she has only made £40 today, and that she will not be able to afford a rent of £25.

“I might as well just give everybody a bubble bath,” she said.

Another trader, Jane Andrews, explains she is already £200 down for the day and could not afford the proposed £100 rent for the four stalls she operates.

She said: “Nobody is coming for fun. They shouldn’t have waited until the week before to throw us under the bus.”

The Council says it has acted as quickly to secure future of Dinnington market.

A spokesperson said: “We were recently informed at very short notice that the operator was ceasing to trade in the area – a decision that would have closed the market altogether.

“We know how important the market is to traders, shoppers and the wider community, so we have acted as quickly as possible to ensure it could continue trading and to secure its future for the people of Dinnington.

“We've worked hard to secure an experienced replacement operator, invest in new gazebos for traders who don’t have them and make sure there is no break in trading.

“We listened to traders who told us that any gap in trading could put the market’s future at risk. So we’re really pleased that the market will continue operating from this Friday (6th November), remain in its current location until Christmas and then move temporarily closer to the shops on Laughton Road.

“The fees being discussed are set by the independent operator, not the Council, and are a commercial matter between the operator and traders.

“Our understanding is that these are set at a very competitive rate, but the Council has never been in a position to set these fees.

“Our focus has always been on securing the future of the market, and we believe this is the best available option to ensure it can continue trading. 

“More broadly, we're committed to the future of Dinnington town centre, with work set to begin shortly on the demolition of the former market building as part of wider regeneration plans, supporting the high street and creating new opportunities for the town centre

Mahmood Shafi, who runs a stall in the market, said: “We’re not just paying normal rent, we’re paying extortionate rent.”

He added: “There’s no way we’re going to be doing that.”

The old stalls began coming down on Monday and traders say they fear for the future of the market.

They have already experienced huge difficulties in dealing with the antisocial behaviour plaguing the town, where children frequently vandalise the market, throw things and harass people.

Trader Sue Caldwell said: “During the week it’s horrific here, it’s like Beirut basically.

“It stops the community coming out because they’re frightened of what they’re going to get.”