Market upgrade ‘to silence retail plan critics’

East Riding Council is consulting over a planned make-over of Saturday Market in Beverley, which is being paid for from a £3.3m surplus that had been allocated to its highways maintenance budget.

The project has angered other towns and parishes in the borough, who say they will now miss out on badly needed repairs to roads.

Coun Peter Hemmerman, the chairman of East Yorkshire Independents and Mayor of Market Weighton, has challenged East Riding Council leader Stephen Parnaby to explain to residents in other towns and parishes why the scheme should take priority over “essential” repairs to their streets.

Andrew Allison, the national grassroots co-ordinator of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, believes the plans could be an attempt to allay traders’ fears over the impact on town centre businesses of the £120m redevelopment of Flemingate.

Responding to Coun Hemmerman’s comments, Mr Allison called the Saturday Market scheme a “vanity project”, and said: “I too would like to challenge Councillor Parnaby to answer that question, and also ask him how he can transfer money set aside for road maintenance to a completely different project. Residents across the East Riding certainly deserve answers to those questions.

“There could be another reason why this money is being spent. Traders in Beverley are concerned a new shopping and leisure development on the outskirts of the town centre will damage their businesses. I am not the only one wondering is this money is being used to silence some of the opposition.”

Coun Hemmerman is meanwhile urging councillors in areas concerned about the project to write to Coun Parnaby calling for the plans to be halted until a meeting can be held to discuss the issue.

He said: “I’m concerned that Councillor Parnaby did this right in the middle of the holiday season and the middle of the Olympics and by the time East Riding (Council) comes back off its holiday it’s going to be forgotten about.

“I’m sure there are people across East Yorkshire in the same position - every time we ask for money we are told there isn’t any.

“There are potholes everywhere and you can’t underspend when there’s still work that needs to be done.

“I would like to see every council have an allocation of funds every year, some money that can be spent on their community so we are not suffering at the expense of the bigger towns.”

However, East Riding Council said the work in Saturday Market was needed and that more than £13m had been spent on road maintenance in the other areas.

Dave Waudby, the head of infrastructure and facilities, said: “Saturday Market is the most heavily used pedestrian area in the East Riding and has long been identified as a priority for maintenance.

“Spending figures on planned highway maintenance over the last three years show an equitable distribution of funding to reflect the needs of all areas in the East Riding, with more than £36m spent on the network.

“Over £13m has been spent in the north area, from Bridlington to Stamford Bridge, including Pocklington, £11 million in the western Howdenshire area, including Market Weighton and Goole, and £3.8m spent in Beverley and the surrounding area.”

He added: “Thanks to prudent financial management, the council has been able to add a one-off sum of £3.3m to the current financial year’s planned maintenance spend of circa £10 million. This is a commendable achievement given the current financial climate.”