Market's closure within weeks '100% impossible' says trader

THE closure of Victoria Market is set to be pushed into next year as Nottingham City Council is told that shutting it within weeks is “impossible”.

- By OLIVER PRIDMORE

One of the five traders remaining at the market inside Victoria Centre previously confirmed that he had asked for an exit date of the end of January to allow time for him and others to prepare to leave.

The business owner says he has now heard that the city council has accepted this proposal, although the authority itself has not confirmed a date by which the market will be empty.

The council instead says it wants the market empty “at the earliest opportunity”, having announced its closure at the end of March this year.

Boasting hundreds of traders when it opened in the 1970s, the market now has just five traders remain as the council begins to increase compensation offers to get them out.

David Bowey, who runs the Tick King watch repair stall, says he is getting closer to agreeing a deal with the council, but that the authority is taking a long time to formally approve its side of the deal.