Nottingham's Victoria Market traders are giving away hundreds of hot drinks to show they are "not going anywhere in a hurry" as uncertainty remains around the venue's future. Talks with traders at the market, which is based in the Victoria Centre, have been ongoing for months as Nottingham City Council considers whether to surrender its lease of the site.
Traders say they were originally given a February 24 date by which the council was due to surrender the lease, but this deadline has now passed without any further clarity being given. The authority recently confirmed it was in "advanced talks" about possible compensation offers in the event the authority decides to close the market.
At a full council meeting on Monday (March 6), a senior councillor said an update would be provided to traders "very soon." Councillor Rebecca Langton, Portfolio Holder for Skills, Economic Growth and Development, acknowledged it was a "difficult time" for the venue's traders but said the council was doing "all we can, as quickly as we can" in coming to a final decision.
