Traders protest at ‘delays’ in £12.3m boost for Leeds market

Friends of Kirkgate Market (FOLKM) will present a deputation to the full council meeting at Leeds Civic Hall on Wednesday next week. Members of FOLKM claim among a raft of unfulfilled promises, urgent repairs have been delayed, a new management structure with traders on board is yet to set up and, over half way through the financial year, “nothing can be construed as breathing life into the market”.

It is claimed there is still a leaking roof and “no sign of other general improvements” despite an agreed £1.615m expected to be spent between April this year and February 2014.

A spokesperson for FOLKM said: “Key questions need to be answered by Leeds city councillors. Money is not being spent at the moment as promised, only on the odd bouncy castle which does not cost £1.6m. Traders are becoming very disillusioned – their livelihood is at stake. We are very worried about what will happen in the new year as traders may leave in droves.”

A Leeds City Council spokesman said: “We have been working hard to progress this complex project. We are now at a stage where we can take a number of reports to December’s executive board to give a detailed update of what progress has been made to this point and what the next stages are.”

He added several measures are set to go forward for approval in the new year, after which planning permission will be sought.