Councillor starts petition against market stall fee

Ted Strike started a petition against the plans

A new street trading policy has been attacked by a councillor who has started a petition calling for it to be reworked.

Stockton Council introduced a rule in March that anyone wanting to sell goods on the street for commercial reasons would need consent to trade from the local authority.

But independent councillor Ted Strike said this amounted to a "stealth tax" and would affect his group's ability to run cheap community events.

The local authority said they were trying to strike a "fair balance" between supporting the local economy and protecting the public.

Mr Strike helps organise several community events through the Ingleby Barwick Community Partnership.

The group is hosting its annual Family Fun Weekend in Stockton in July which is free to attend.

Mr Strike said the new rules mean the group would need to pay £250 to the local authority to host traders with less money going towards future events.

Mr Strike said: "We have to raise thousands of pounds every year to put the event on.

"We’ve got to pay for two big marquees, we pay for entertainment, pay for security, pay to get the field cut, pay for a risk assessment – it all adds up and gets very, very expensive."

Mr Strike wants the local authority to exempt community events from the fee.

The new rules do not apply to various types of shops and events, including chartered markets.

Labour councillor Norma Stephenson said: "This resolution helps to ensure traders meet local needs and provides us with powers to deal with issues raised."