Miliband weighs into row with mayor over market rent rises

Doncaster’s elected mayor Peter Davies has sparked fury in Mexborough after saying rents have not increased for 15 years.

The mayor claims the situation at the market hall is unsustainable, particularly when the council is facing cuts of £71m by 2014.

But Mr Miliband said he supported the traders in their fight to have the increase reversed.

Mr Miliband said: “The reason I was in Mexborough was to hear first-hand from market traders about what this planned increase would mean to them.

“I urge mayor Peter Davies to think again about this 500 per cent rent hike over three years.

“Mexborough market is absolutely central to the community so I’m urging the Mayor to think again and come up with a fairer offer for the traders.”

Secretary of the Mexborough market traders association Gordon Smith said he was delighted the MP had supported them and added: “Nothing has gone up 500 per cent in the last 15 years, not even petrol.

“When we invited the mayor to come and see us, instead of coming to the market hall he went to the Wetherspoons pub which is called the Old Market Hall instead. He has no idea.”

Mayor Davies said he had been forced to take action on the rents paid by traders after he discovered Doncaster Council was losing £200,000 a year on the market

He said local councillors now complaining about the rent rise had voted for it at a meeting of the full council in December and added: “Mexborough Market is a valuable community asset, but it also has to be a viable business.

“There will be a review of the Mexborough Indoor Market rents in April 2012 to take stock of the economic climate and viability for traders.

“In the meantime I am open to suggestions from local councillors on a better way to plug the gap between the money we receive from traders and the rent we have to pay for the markets.”