Perry Barr: Breakthrough in sight for market traders

Mayor Andy Street (centre) and Khalid Mahmood MP (right) have been in dialogue with traders and community campaigners

Stallholders locked out of the market hall where they have been trading may soon enjoy a breakthrough, according to an MP.

Traders at Market Village, based at the One Stop shopping centre in Perry Barr, Birmingham, have been unable to access the hall since 12 January.

It followed the hall's operator going out of business, leaving stallholders anxious for their futures.

But there has since been dialogue with One Stop, pleasing MP Khalid Mahmood.

The Labour member for Perry Barr said he felt "a lot more comfortable" for the traders' prospects than a few weeks ago.

Traders - some of whom said there had since been discussion with One Stop over contracts - had complained last month that their anxiety was in part down to silence from hall operator Perry Barr Market Properties Limited.

Mr Mahmood said: "I'm glad now that the One Stop is talking to these individuals... stallholders and trying to get a contract fixed with them.

"So hopefully within the next fortnight, or so, they'll be back trading."

Hall host One Stop has been invited by the BBC to comment.

'Justice will be done'

Stallholders previously complained they were in limbo after being given just a few hours to vacate the site, leaving some unable to recover expensive stock and others unsure how they would pay their bills.

The mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, who sought the assistance of the shopping centre's owners, said he felt "incredibly optimistic that justice will be done here".

He stated: "There is hope that common sense is prevailing and that new contracts hopefully will be able to be awarded."

Poet and actor Lexia Tomlinson, one of the traders, said: "There's a new contract proposed.

"I'm wary of it, because it's still temporary. It doesn't have any guarantees and then there's also the same rates as we're paying before, but with a yearly stipulation that there'll be a 4% increase every year."

Community campaigner Desmond Jadoo said contracts had been sent out.

He stated: "The owners of One Stop through their managing agents are now in direct talks with the traders in an attempt to get them back into the market."

Perry Barr Market Properties Limited appointed administrators Cowgills to help place it into voluntary liquidation, with a proposed date of 15 February.

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