Leeds City Council has today reaffirmed its support for market traders in the face of the ongoing challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The council has carried out a range of measures to support traders at Kirkgate Market and across the city since the lockdown began, with that backing continuing with a focus on a flexible-first approach now trading has resumed.
All indoor market traders have qualified for government grants to help cover their costs during the period of retail restrictions, which includes rent as a business expense.
The council is also providing support on rents, with discounts from 25 to 100 per cent to reflect the impact of restrictions on trading activity. In addition, the council has put in place payment plans to the end of March 2022 to allow traders to spread the payment of arrears over as long a period as possible.
Further support and guidance is also available from the council’s markets team to all traders on a flexible case-by-case basis, helping to provide the best level of support to be most effective to limit the impact of the unprecedented challenges caused by Covid-19.
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Leeds City Council’s executive member for learning, skills and employment Councillor Jonathan Pryor said:
“We are fully committed to supporting all market traders in Leeds through what continues to be an incredibly difficult and challenging time.
“Our markets team is in contact and available to all our traders to offer advice, guidance and support and as a council we are doing everything we can to help.
“We know our traders face differing issues and challenges, so we have taken a flexible and bespoke case-by-case basis approach to work with traders and identify options and solutions to support them, and that support will continue as long as it is needed.”
