HACKNEY Council is considering lifting the concessionary rate for stallholders in Broadway Market. The local authority has agreed for now to continue with the £9 fee for market traders to pitch on Saturdays...

HACKNEY Council is considering lifting the concessionary rate for stallholders in Broadway Market.

The local authority has agreed for now to continue with the £9 fee for market traders to pitch on Saturdays.

However, Cllr Alan Laing, who has responsibility for markets, said a final decision had not been made.

Lifting the rate introduced three years ago to encourage new traders could see prices rise by 300 per cent.

The price row is the latest clash between residents behind the vibrant street market and the town hall.

The popular market, which links London Fields to the Regent's Canal, was once shabby and neglected - but three years ago the Broadway Market Traders' and Residents' Association (BMTRA) set up a market with the aim of selling quality, organic food.

Last year, the BMTRA accused the council of meddling in its affairs and criticised its track record of running markets.

More than 1,000 people have signed a petition calling on the council to leave the market in residents' hands.

But the council argued it had a legal responsibility to govern street markets under the Local Authorities Act.

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