Talks over future of Cheshire East markets including Crewe and Congleton
Cabinet members have approved plans to explore new ways of running four of them
Talks are to be held with town councils, landowners and the private sector over the future management of markets in Congleton, Macclesfield, Crewe and Wilmslow.
Cheshire East Council's cabinet approved the recommendations at a meeting on Thursday.
Councillors say currently they operate at a financial loss, and the council doesn't have the resources to maximise their potential.
Which markets are covered
The report covered both the indoor and outdoor market in Congleton, and the indoor market only in Macclesfield.
It also covered the currently managed indoor market hall in Crewe, and the council-run Wilmslow Market, which cabinet members were told is a single stall.
The recommendations approved varied for each market.
Overall, they authorised officers to engage with neighbouring landowners, relevant town councils and private sector organisations.
Cllr Warren said: "The report before cabinet members therefore proposes a market-by-market approach, exploring opportunities to work with town councils, landowners, and private sector partners to secure more sustainable management arrangement and reduce the council's ongoing financial exposure."
He added: "The recommendations are intended to protect the wider economic and community benefits of markets, while identifying opportunities for more effective management and investment in their future."
Concerns over double taxation
Cllr Stewart Gardiner (Conservative, Knutsford) raised concerns that the plans could lead to double taxation if some of the four markets stayed under Cheshire East control while others were taken over by town councils.
Cllr Gardiner said: "My concern would be if everybody else's market was run by their town council or by an arm's length organisation, and Cheshire East was still funding and running for instance Macclesfield… if all residents of Cheshire East were funding that and then funding their own markets in their own town, that's what I mean by double taxation."
Cllr Rob Vernon (Labour, Macclesfield), portfolio holder for communities and engagement, said town councils are keen to take part in the talks.
Cllr Vernon said: "I know that our town councils are really, really keen to engage with this."
He added: "This idea of double taxation is something that gets chucked around quite regularly when we have these sort of conversations, and I would say, it isn't a case of double taxation, you're not paying for the same thing twice.
"We've heard from Cllr Warren that Cheshire East, with the resources that it has, is not able to get the best out of these markets.
"We are therefore looking at opportunities for others to contribute and getting the best out of those markets.
"If that turns out that one of those options is for a town council to contribute its own resources, and that by virtue of that it determines it should put its precept up to do so, that's not a case of double taxation, that is a case of topping-up to ensure that a town has a far better service than it would otherwise have."
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