Outgoing Victoria Centre Market trader slams 'disgusting' treatment of businesses as closure looms
John Easom, who has run the Gold Bank Jewellers in the market for nine years, has secured new premises and will be leaving in mid-March. Mr Easom said: "I think the way the traders are being treated is just disgusting. I've heard that at the end of February, they went round and said everyone will be out by March 31st.
"They originally said they were going to help traders find new premises, but there's been none of that. They've put eviction notices on some traders and I've heard some of them are taking legal action."
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Nottinghamshire Live previously reported that a small group of remaining traders were considering legal action against the city council over the closure. The council has previously confirmed that eviction notices have been served against some traders due to rent arrears.
Traders were first told Nottingham City Council would surrender its lease on the market on February 24 in 2022, with some having signed compensation offers and arranged new premises to move into. This date came and went with no further certainty and it was eventually confirmed that negotiations had fallen through with Global Mutual, the asset managers of the Victoria Centre Market.
The city council said negotiations with Global Mutual had been "both complex and protracted" and that talks would continue over the termination of the lease agreement, which the council says would have cost it £39 million over the next 50 years. The Labour-led authority's next closure plan was for traders to leave the site last summer, which once again came and went.
September 2024 then saw the council say it still intended to close the market and that traders who had not been paying rent would be asked to leave. Nottingham City Council has not responded to a request for comment in terms of what it will now be seeking to do with its lease for the market, which still has around 50 years left on it.
Given that from the end of March, the council will be holding this lease without any income coming in from the market whatsoever, the authority was asked whether negotiations on exiting its lease had progressed any further. The Victoria Centre was asked the same question and a spokesperson said: "The market is run and operated by Nottingham City Council and they have been – and remain - fully responsible for all decisions regarding its future."
A spokesperson for the Nottingham City Council previously said: "We have recently confirmed our plans to close the market and have served notice on traders with significant rent arrears. Unfortunately, several stallholders have breached their legal agreements by failing to pay rent, collectively owing the council over £400,000.
"Any trader with more than three months of unpaid rent will be formally notified to vacate the market. With the council facing substantial financial challenges, it's crucial that we address these outstanding rent issues. Additionally, we will be terminating legal agreements with traders who have applicable break clauses to cease their occupancy at the market."
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