City council set to back plan to close Victoria Centre market

Traders previously accused the council of closing the market by stealth

Nottingham City Council says it is "likely" officers will recommend closing a shopping centre market, despite a consultation showing public support for the site.

Nottingham's Victoria Centre market, which has been running since 1971, was earmarked for closure in April.

The council said keeping it open for the rest of the lease would cost £39m.

It said further talks with stallholders would take place before a final recommendation was made.

About 30 of the 200 stalls are currently occupied, with some businesses accusing the council of restricting investment in the market.

In total, the council said 630 people responded to a consultation, with the most popular response to a survey saying the council "should continue with the current arrangement and pay the subsidy".

Just 53 agreed with the council's proposals.

The council said the cost of seeing out the market's lease would be £39m

A council report highlighted "a significant number of Caribbean respondents" who said they visited the market "for things that they cannot get elsewhere".

However, in its conclusion, the council said responses "were from a small proportion of Nottingham's residents, mostly elderly white British residents who shop and use the market regularly".

"[The] findings therefore represent only a limited snapshot view from Nottingham and Nottinghamshire residents," it said.

After citing research showing a growth in online shopping and working from home since the pandemic, the report said council officers "are likely to recommend the council ends its lease and operation" of the market.

Stephen Taylor, who runs a stall on the market, said it did not come as a surprise.

However, he had hoped the council would try to "turn the place around" instead.

He planned to hand in a 7,000 signature petition to the council this weekend.

Vivian David said some of the market's older customers did not want to shop online

Vivian David, who runs a clothing stall, said she worried about how the closure would effect some of the market's older customers.

"I think a lot of them don't know about this online business - they want to buy things that they can see and touch.

"If they shut it down they shut their life down as well," she said.

Linda Woodings, acting lead for markets for the council, said: "We understand this would be a huge disappointment not only for customers and the wider public, but especially for traders at the market.

"We will now embark on further engagement with all traders and the landlord, before a final recommendation is made to councillors for a decision."