Northampton trader calls for council to give market stalls rent holiday in face of '40 per cent' drop in trade

A Northampton market trader is calling on the borough council to give stalls a rent holiday after 'shocking' first week back in business.

Northampton's market square has fallen quiet during the lockdown. The usual hustle and bustle has been stripped down to just two food vans, the M&G Butchers' van, and two fruit and veg stalls.

Now, fruit and veg seller Eamon Fitzpatrick is calling for the council to give stalls a rent holiday after a claiming it was a "waste of time" to open his stall last week.

Eamon, known to many as 'Fitzy', and his team chose to reopen last Monday for the first time in seven weeks - but in a tweet on Saturday he claimed: "I took more money in the 80s compared to what we took this week, a complete waste of time and effort."Speaking to the Chronicle & Echo today (May 18), he said: "It cost me £500 to open last week and it was barely worth the effort.

"We were down 40 per cent on a normal week.

"I know things will get better when the shops open but when will that happen?

"It was a big mistake opening this week."

Now, Fitzy is calling on the borough council to give traders that are open a rent holiday for their stalls.

He has pointed to Leicester market square as an example, where outdoor traders have been given rent holiday until early June, after which they will pay a 50 per cent rate.

Fitzy said: "I could use that £500 a week just to make sure my staff get paid.

"I've been paying rent on my stall since 1983. I've paid at least £400,000 in rent in that time. I just want that to be taken into consideration."

The borough council has been contacted for a comment.