"Nuneaton's market could be privatised"

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'All options' are being explored



Nuneaton market could be privatised as part of a council’s desperate bid to save money.

‘Externalising’ Nuneaton market is one of the options being considered by Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council as it battles to balance its books.

The Town Hall says it needs to find almost £1million in 2019/20 and that reviewing options to no longer run the market, and get an outside company to do so, could save £18,000.

The market dates back to 1226 and formed the backbone of Nuneaton becoming a market town.

Running every Saturday and Wednesday, the market, while smaller than what it used to be, is still one of the biggest street markets in the area.

It has previously won the National Association of British Market Authorities (NAMBA) outdoor market for the year award.

But, facing having to make huge savings to balance the books, the council says that reviewing options to 'externalise' the market could save £22,000.

The Town Hall says it has been forced to look at all of the non-essential services it provides in a bid to bridge the near £1m savings it has to make.

Jonathan White, head of town centres and marketing at the Town Hall, explained: "We are currently reviewing the operation of both markets with a view to making them as efficient as possible to ensure their longevity.

"The number of enquiries for market stalls is on the rise, which is great news, but also means that we need to ensure that our markets are sustainable.

"This means we have to look at new ways to guarantee that our markets are able to cope with future demands. In order to do this we are currently exploring a variety of options as well as looking at what steps other successful markets have taken to support their sustainability.

"Improvements have already been made to Bedworth Market which have helped us attract a number of new traders and further improvements are currently being considered to enhance the location."