Markets fees and charges

What are the fees and charges for markets based on?

The fees and charges are based in agreement with the London Local Authorities Act 1990 which manages how Councils should regulate markets.

A fair charging structure

Managing fruit and vegetable waste is very expensive: it accounts for 50% of the entire running cost of Hackney’s markets. We think it’s fair to charge fruit and vegetable traders more than traders of less costly commodities.

The fees and charges differ for each market because they are based on the costs of running each market. For example, charges for traders on Ridley Road market are higher because of the higher proportion of money spent on managing its waste.

How have the fees and charges been calculated?

The market fees and charges have been calculated in accordance with the London Local Authorities Act 1990.

This means the Council cannot use fees to generate revenue and that it must set the fees in proportion to its own costs for providing the service. The biggest cost for this service is cleaning streets, collection, removal and disposal of waste, particularly vegetable and fruits. Other costs include administering, managing and maintaining street markets in the borough.

How does the Council spend the market fees and charges?

The Council is required by law (London Local Authority Act 1990) to administrate licences and fees and charges. The fees and charges go direct into the Council’s Market Account, where the Council then tops up the full cost of running the markets. The Council’s Markets Team then uses this account to manage the following expenditures:

• issuing and managing licences
• informing traders about their legal responsibilities and obligations and providing information, training and support to help their businesses thrive
• running an efficient waste, street cleaning and day to day, on-site market service
• encouraging more customers to come to Hackney’s markets, including working with traders to provide a high standard of customer care and products and promoting our markets in and outside the borough
• improving the markets environment so they are modern, safe, secure and attractive places
• managing a transparent and fair pitch allocation
• filling the pitches with a commodity mix to attract customers and attracting more traders and start up businesses to our markets and offering development, training and support
• representing the interests of our markets, customers and licensed traders and working with partners such as the Police, land owners and local businesses and Hackney residents
• markets team staff costs