The sell off of Walsall’s historic market proposed by the council’s Tory Cabinet is to come under scrutiny on Tuesday (1st April) thanks to a combined initiative by Liberal Democrat and Labour opposition councillors reports Liberal Democrat councillor Ian Shires.
As reported on this blog on 23rd March the cabinet decided to move the management of the town’s 600 years old market away from the council and to form a 50:50 public/private sector venture company to run the markets instead.
The Tory Cabinet took the decision in private session totally disregarding the findings of the all party working group which had recommended that the markets remained under council control.
The meeting on Tuesday will allow members of the Regeneration Scrutiny Panel to cross examine the Tory Portfolio Holder with responsibilities for the markets and listen to the views of the market traders.
“It will be interesting to see what the Tories on the panel do” said Ian. “They have supported the recommendation to keep the market within the control of the council during the long deliberations over the future of the markets. They had also agreed to the temporary move of the market to The Bridge.Then at the last minute, some of them did an about turn and voted against both the move and the council remaining in control.”
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