Agenda item

Questions from the public in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 13

(a)   Question from Mr Gary Wilson to Councillor Joe Blackham, Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Enforcement:-

 

“Why does Doncaster Council allow the Assets of Community Listing process to be detrimental and biased against community applications?”

 

(b)  Question from Mr Christopher Nowak to Councillor Phil Cole, Cabinet Member for Finance and Trading Services:-

 

“Regarding Wool Market traders, on two separate visits only three non-food traders were open at 2.30 pm.  I have since been told by a trader, that the reason for this is that all non-food traders have been given notice to quit after Christmas by Market Asset Management.  Was the Council aware of this when they gave MAM nearly £1 million recently and if true, what are MAM going to replace the non-food traders with?”

Minutes:

(a)      Question from Mr Gary Wilson to Councillor Joe Blackham, Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Enforcement:-

 

“Why does Doncaster Council allow the Assets of Community Listing process to be detrimental and biased against community applications?”

 

Councillor Joe Blackham, gave the following reply:-

 

“Thank you for your question Mr Wilson.

 

The listing of Assets of Community Value is determined by a process set down in the 2011 Localism Act; this is national legislation which we have to follow.

 

The process is not biased for or against any party; but follows the legislation and is based on the evidence provided in the application. The Council provides resources on its website to explain what an Asset of Community Value is, how to make an application and how an application is determined; and the management of all applications follows this process.

 

I would encourage any individual or group wanting to put forward a listing for Asset of Community Value, to ensure that the application is as detailed as possible, consult with residents, Parish Councils, community groups and if at all possible, the legal owners.

 

In relation to Brodsworth Miners Welfare, I am pleased to see that dialogue is ongoing and I know our Director of Economy and Environment is reviewing the initial decision in respect of its nomination as an Asset of Community Value.

 

I am also aware that Ward Councillors and Ed Milliband MP, are engaging with a range of organisations and the trustees, to see what can be done to help preserve and retain the Asset, and I would urge you to continue to be part of this dialogue.  Hopefully, by the relevant parties working together, a solution can be found and agreement reached.”

 

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 13.10, Mr. Wilson asked Councillor Joe Blackham, the following supplementary question:-

 

“I have two additional questions. Regarding the refusal, is it appropriate for Strategic Asset Management to copy and paste objections to a community listing as a refusal from the owner who wants to sell an asset?  What due diligence did Strategic Asset Management undertake to check the veracity of the assertions about the Welfare Hall’s use both past, present and future, and its community use?”

 

In response, Councillor Joe Blackham gave the following reply:-

 

“I am quite surprised that there has been a deferral of the auction which was scheduled to take place.   Mr Wilson will be aware of that.  The Director of Economy and Enterprise has directly intervened, on a good will basis, with the owners of the property, and agreed that they will defer the planned auction of the property.  We can only make decisions on the evidence presented and regrettably, there was not sufficient evidence to prevent the owner from disposing of the property.  The onus is always on the people wishing to have the listing, not the owner who was wishing to sell.”

 

(b)      Question from Mr Christopher Nowak to Councillor Phil Cole, Cabinet Member for Finance and Trading Services:-

 

“Regarding Wool Market traders, on two separate visits only three non-food traders were open at 2.30 pm.  I have since been told by a trader that the reason for this is that all non-food traders have been given notice to quit after Christmas by Market Asset Management.  Was the Council aware of this when they gave MAM nearly £1m recently, and if true, what are MAM going to replace the non-food traders with?”

 

Councillor Phil Cole, gave the following reply:-

 

“Thank you for your question Mr Nowak.

 

You will have seen the announcement we made about the planned changes to the Wool Market, which I sent you last week, but for the record, since the Wool Market re-opened in 2019, it was designed to be a mixed-use development of both hospitality and retail, to provide a varied offer that would complement the Market and Town Centre.

 

The hospitality element of the Wool Market has done incredibly well and we are building on this strength.  With minimal disruption to the existing traders, we will be able to create a new family leisure and hospitality space which will hopefully bring new people into the Wool Market as a new family destination.

 

In relation to retail units in the Wool Market, these will move to the Corn Exchange.  No retailers are being asked to quit our Town Centre Market.

 

Your question referred to £1m to MAM, Market Asset Management, the Council’s chosen partners to run and promote our markets. The Council provided temporary investment in September 2020, during the depths of the Covid pandemic. 

 

This was outlined in a report to Cabinet and duly considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee, whose minutes are publically available. The temporary investment supported the costs of running the day to day operations of the market without which, the current trading activity would not have been possible.

 

We are proud of our market traders, selling top class produce, and we are equally pleased to have niche and specialist retailers from selling art to collectables, mainly at the Goose Hill end of the market, in addition to the traditional fruit, veg, flowers and dairy traders.

 

Since the Council partnered with MAM to run the markets, Doncaster Market occupancy has risen by 9% to 86%, and is currently 85% at Mexborough, which has just 5 vacant stalls.

 

We are incredibly proud of our markets and committed to supporting them as we bounce back from the pandemic.  There will be further announcements of improvements to our Town Centre and Mexborough Markets in the coming months.

 

The buildings that house our markets are wholly owned by Doncaster Council and we will continue to invest to make them safe, modern and fit for purpose.

 

We are investing in our markets at the time when High Street retailers have taken a battering.  The long period of lockdown only reinforced the rise of online retail, reaching around one third of sales in 2021.

 

In the face of those challenges, the Council will do everything in our power to improve the offer and variety our markets provide, to complement our Town Centre retail and hospitality.  For 800 years, Doncaster Town Centre has been home to a market and long may that continue.”

 

Mr Nowak asked why his submitted question had been amended without his knowledge and then, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 13.10, Mr. Nowak asked Councillor Phil Cole, the following supplementary question:-

 

“Where is the consultation for the new proposal for the Wool Market and I presume Market Asset Management will be paying for the renovations and if not, then DMBC will be keeping any profit and pay MAM a management fee.  I would hate to think, as I am sure we all would, that a private company will be profiting from public money?”

 

In response, Councillor Phil Cole gave the following reply:-

 

“Thank you for your supplementary question Mr Nowak. 

 

In relation to the improvements, I tried to draw a distinction in my first reply.  If there are any changes made to the buildings at Doncaster Council that house Doncaster Council Markets for whatever reason, we own these buildings, those are our decisions and we will make the necessary investments.  We have a partner firm that manage and promotes the Markets, it collects the rents and sorts out the day to day running.  The Council will arrange any works, just as we have done at Mexborough Market; we will do that as Doncaster Council as they are our buildings.  We value them, we want them to be modern, safe and fit for purpose.”

 

Councillor Cole invited Mr Nowak to contact him further with any other concerns.