Market closure dispute looks set to drag on for another year

STALEMATE WITH CITY COUNCIL CONTINUES AS ONLY FOUR TRADERS REMAIN

- By OLIVER PRIDMORE

Aladdin's Cave, David Bowey of Tick King and Suzanne Anderson of Gemini Jewellers are among the four remaining traders at the Victoria Centre Market in Nottingham.

A DISPUTE between the last remaining businesses at a Nottingham market and the council could now drag on for at least another year in an update that one trader dubbed "crazy".

Just four businesses now remain at the market that boasted hundreds of traders when it opened in the 1970s as their battle with Nottingham City Council continues.

The Victoria Centre Market was supposed to close at the end of March this year and it was thought that it may take until early in the New Year for the site to empty.

But a Nottingham City Council email seen by the Post now shows that the authority believes agreement with traders may not be reached "for at least another 12 months".

The email was sent to David Bowey, who runs the Tick King store, and relates to a proposed compensation or settlement offer that he received from the city council.

Mr Bowey has heard nothing further on this offer for weeks and the email, from strategic director of communities Colin Wilderspin last Thursday, now says: "There has been no sudden change in approach, the council made clear that the proposed settlement figure required internal approval and that this approval was not guaranteed.

"The proposal was also dependent on a wider agreement with the management of the Victoria Centre regarding the council's lease obligations.