Hackney Council's proposal to revise fees for market traders and shop fronts on Graham Road has met with strong opposition, with concerns raised about financial strain and a perceived lack of value for money. The changes will see a weighted average increase of 19.72% across the service, with individual increases ranging from 2.2% to 20%.

The proposed changes, which aim to ensure the service complies with the London Local Authorities Act 1990 and addresses rising costs, have sparked fears among traders who say they are already struggling.

Key concerns raised during the consultation, detailed in Appendix 4 _ Markets fees and charges 2025_26 - Consultation Report 1, include:

  • Financial strain: Many traders fear the increased fees will make it difficult to break even, potentially forcing them to close.
  • Justification: Some question the need for fee increases, particularly in light of current economic difficulties.
  • Value for money: Several respondents feel they are not receiving adequate services in return for existing fees.

Some traders suggested a user pays model where higher waste-generating activities contribute more towards waste costs. Consultation feedback showed that a large majority of traders (69.64%) agreed with the principle that higher waste-service and energy users should contribute more towards those specific costs than lower users, advocating for a differentiated user pays model across waste and utilities. The council has stated that the waste recharge has been distributed across trading sites based on market operational days, occupancy rates and stall density, waste volume by trader type (e.g. street food, fresh produce), and frequency of required cleaning and gully flushing.

Despite the concerns, the Cabinet approved the implementation of revised fees and charges for permanent and temporary street trading, shop fronts, and storage, as set out in Appendix 2a_ Proposed fees and charges for street trading Shop Fronts To be implemented January 2 and Appendix 2b_ Proposed fees and charges for street trading Shop Fronts To be implemented January 2, starting 1 January 2026. The decision was made in accordance with Section 32 of the London Local Authorities Act 1990. The council is legally required under Section 32 of the London Local Authorities Act 1990 to recover the full costs of operating its markets and street-trading services from licence fees rather than through the General Fund. The council states that it will not generate any profit and all cost variations will be adjusted in future modelling.

The approved measures include:

  • Phased repayment of arrears and transition to real-time payment by 2027/28.
  • Continued application of annual CPI-based increases, passed onto traders from 1 April 2026, and every year thereafter.
  • Application of the annual North London Waste Authority (NLWA) disposal charge, passed onto traders starting 1 April 2026, and every year thereafter.

To help traders manage the transition to real-time payments and the phased repayment of arrears, the council will implement the following support measures:

  • Transitional Period: Arrears will be recovered over 11 months to minimise impact on traders' cash flow.
  • Hardship Fund: Available to traders facing acute financial difficulty, assessed on a case-by-case basis.
  • Communications Toolkit: Multilingual comms, FAQs, step-by-step guides, and infographics to explain fee changes.
  • Direct Officer Support: Drop-ins, phone lines, and email support to answer queries and troubleshoot issues.
  • Digital Enablement: Procurement of an online booking and payment system for temporary traders, improving accessibility and efficiency.

Authority was delegated to the Group Director, Housing, Climate & Economy, in consultation with the Cabinet Member, Councillor Susan Fajana-Thomas OBE, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Regulatory Services, to finalise any minor adjustments before implementation. The specific nature of these 'minor adjustments' is not detailed in the provided text.