Hackney Markets and Street Trading Fees and Charges 2025-2026

Overview

Why are you being consulted?

The Council is reviewing the current fees and charges to ensure compliance with Section 32 of the London Local Authorities Act 1990 (LLA 1990). This legislation requires a licence to display goods for sale or provide services for profit—such as placing tables and chairs on Council land or within seven metres of any public highway. This includes market stalls, shop fronts, and mobile vehicles trading from fixed positions. The Act permits the Council to charge fees to cover the costs of providing street trading services.

The last review of fees and charges took place in 2019, with changes implemented in April 2020. Since then, the Council has faced growing financial pressures, including rising inflation, energy costs, and cuts in government funding. While these costs have not been passed onto service users, Section 32 of the LLA 1990 allows for this to ensure the service can continue to operate effectively and cover its costs. Despite increases from the Consumer Price Index (CPI) since 2020, the additional income has yet to fully cover rising costs, as detailed in the consultation pack. Therefore, the Council is now considering updating the fees and charges from April 2025 to help recover its costs through licence fees paid by service users, reducing the risk of local taxpayers subsidising licensing functions.

This consultation outlines proposed changes to fees and charges for permanent and temporary service users across all markets and street trading locations. It also outlines the process the Council followed under the LLA 1990, including providing notice of the proposed new fees, gathering comments in response, and recommending the updated charges.

The fees and charges in this consultation are proposals and will be reviewed in detail once feedback from all stakeholders is collected. This is an opportunity for key stakeholders to provide input, ensuring the process remains open, fair, and transparent.

What are the proposals?

Invoice payments

Currently, permanent licence and storage holders pay invoices in arrears (4 weeks), issued on the 1st working day of the month for the previous month. To ensure the Council remains commercially competitive and accessible, we propose to end the current payment process, whereby traders can accrue arrears and trade in lieu of payments. This process results in significant administrative burdens, including managing substantive arrears, dedicating 0.75 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) staff to recovery, and incurring costs for chasing payments, payment plans, enforcement action, and licence breaches. The removal of the arrears accrual payment process will bring the Council in line with other local authorities and market operators, providing more accurate financial reporting and forecasting.

To encourage timely payments, we propose introducing a penalty charge for late payments. This will help reduce the resources currently used to clear outstanding arrears. This change will promote a more efficient and sustainable payment system. Additionally, we propose that all temporary licence holders pay a week in advance for the pitches they wish to use, in addition to selecting and paying on the day. This maintains flexible trading opportunities while reducing the need for increased physical resources for daily payment processing.

The proposals are summarised below:
• To remove the arrears accrual payment process
• To introduce a late payments penalty charge
• For temporary licence holders to pay a week in advance for pitches

Electricity

Electricity is one of the most sought-after resources for market traders to run their operations. The Council currently provides electricity in various street trading locations and markets in Hackney, including providing lighting to support trading during the winter months.

Traders are currently not charged for electricity but the Council incurs significant costs for usage and maintenance as one of the Market Service’s largest expenditures totaling approximately £350,000 annually. This saw an increase in charges of £154,000 to the service between financial years 2022/23 and 2023/24. Despite this, the Council has not passed on these costs to traders since 2020/21, supporting them through the pandemic and subsequent recovery.

As electricity is an essential resource, the costs associated with its provision and maintenance will be factored into the proposed fees for all street trading locations, markets, and storage container units. This change aims to ensure a fair and sustainable pricing structure. 

Street markets storage container hire

Storage is another resource in high demand for market traders to facilitate their business operations. The Council currently provides limited storage space in various areas across Hackney at a subsidised fee to support their trading. The Markets Service is currently absorbing costs in excess to cover rent, electricity, 
cleaning, and maintenance.

To ensure the Markets Service can continue offering storage spaces at affordable rates, we propose a 20% increase in storage container hire. This adjustment reflects rising costs and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase, enabling us to expand storage options while maintaining affordability for traders. Benchmarking against other markets shows Hackney remains competitively priced compared to similar central London locations, as shown in Chart 1. The proposed fee increase is summarised in Table 1.

Please note that the benchmarking data highlights that Hackney Council is providing the most costly storage options. Other London boroughs either do not provide storage at all or they provide garage space which is not in the market locations and sizes of the garage spaces available are either 2ft or 3ft and significantly smaller than the options provided by Hackney Council.

Stall set-up / Equipment & Maintenance

Since insourcing the stall set-up operations, our market experienced a significant increase in occupancy, leading to a greater demand for stalls. This has resulted in a higher need for resources and increased costs for the Council in maintenance and repairs, which are currently not charged to the traders. Storage areas are frequently damaged and require regular cleaning, which led to the Council expending significant resources on overtime for staff who were originally contracted to work weekends only.

To ensure the safety of insourcing staff, they are provided with uniforms and equipment designed to protect them while they conduct their work. Although necessary to meet the increased demands of the market, these additional safety measures contribute to rising costs, putting further strain on the Council’s resources. 

As a result, these factors will be carefully considered in the fee proposals outlined in this document.

Waste management

Waste management is crucial to the operation of markets and street trading. To ensure that these locations are well-maintained, the service invests significantly in regular waste collection, management, and cleansing. This includes providing additional bins, sweepers, daily environmental operatives, and end-of-day spray cleaning which puts a significant financial strain on the Markets Service.

Chart 2 - Cost of waste management between 2019-2025 with difference increase

Chart 2 outlines the yearly fees and charges paid by the Markets Service since the last review in 2019, with fees for 2024/25 due by the end of this financial year. It highlights that the increase in waste costs has been significant and is not fully covered by the proposed fees from the last consultation or the annual CPI adjustments implemented over the past five years. Waste fees have risen by 155% since our last fees and charges consultation.

This increase in waste costs is primarily due to higher occupancy at market locations, including our street trading sites, Ridley Road, and the addition of Broadway Market on Sundays. Occupancy growth has been in double digits since the last consultation, leading to increased waste accumulation and the need for more frequent cleansing. For instance, our waste cleaning costs include quarterly gully maintenance, but this year we had to perform additional cleanings in Broadway Market and Ridley Road due to fatty substances and meat waste found in the gullies, which have created unpleasant odours for traders and visitors. The additional costs are unsustainable, making it essential to take this into consideration for proposals to ensure future waste costs are fully covered by pitch fees. 

The proposals are summarised below:

• To increase the fees for fruit and vegetable/ street food by 10% to 60% depending on location and how much waste is accumulated.
• To include green bin fees in addition to fruit and vegetable/ street food traders.
• Market Officers to issue Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) when traders are found contaminating the gullies in the markets.

Broadway Market

The fee increases for non-fruit, vegetables, or non street food stalls will be increased up to 8% to cover the 2.2% rise of inflation, rounded to the nearest 50p. The additional costs will cover the additional resources required to set up the market and the maintenance of the stall equipment and the changes in how food  waste is to be managed and recycled following Government changes to legislation from the 31st of March 2025, whereby a series of new laws relating to dry recycling and food waste will come into effect across England. Under the new recycling legislation, businesses will be required to separate their dry recycling  and food waste from their general waste by law and this is reflected in the service receiving higher waste management costs. The proposed fee increase is summarised in Table 3. 

Chatsworth Road Market

The Council is currently running Chatsworth Road Market at a loss because the current pitch fees do not cover the full costs of operating the market. These costs include providing a Stall Markets Management Team, onsite Market Officers, a weekend Social Media Officer, Enforcement Officers, and Waste Management.

Similar to Broadway Market, there will not be any fee increases for non-fruit, vegetables, or street food stalls, except for a 2.2% rise due to inflation, rounded to the nearest 50p. This adjustment helps keep a diverse range of goods available at Chatsworth Road Market. However, due to higher waste management costs, fees for fruit, vegetables, and street food stalls will go up. The proposed fee increase is summarised in Table 4.

Clifton Street Market

The Council started Clifton Street Market as a trial during Covid-19 to give street food traders an extra opportunity to grow their businesses. Now that the market is thriving and running at full capacity, the Council plans to increase fees for fruit, vegetables, and street food stalls to cover the rising maintenance and waste management costs. The proposed changes are outlined in Table 5.

Hoxton Street Market

Hoxton Street Market operates as a street food site from Monday to Friday and as a full market on Saturdays. To manage rising waste management costs, especially for food waste, and ensure fair pricing, the team is investing in new gazebos and exploring new opportunities. We plan to add a crafts corner for artisan traders, leveraging the market’s prime location near Shoreditch.

Fees for non-fruit, vegetable, and street food stalls will remain unchanged except for a 2.2% inflation adjustment, rounded to the nearest 50p. This will help keep a diverse range of products available. However, due to increased waste management costs, fees for fruit, vegetable, and street food stalls will rise. The proposed changes are outlined in Table 6.

Table 6 - Proposed fees and charges for Hoxton Street Market

Kingsland Market

Kingsland Market is still in development as a bric-a-brac and pre-loved market. It struggles with attracting foot traffic compared to other markets due to its location. To enhance visitor numbers, the team is investing in new gazebos and exploring opportunities such as introducing a car boot sale. This addition will be incorporated into the revised fees and charges.

Fees and charges for Kingsland Market will increase to cover rising waste management costs, inflation, and the need for additional resources to manage anti-social behaviour and illegal trading in the area. The proposed changes are outlined in Table 7.

Ridley Road Market

The Council is currently absorbing significant additional costs at Ridley Road Market, including £811k for increased waste management and around £32k for infrastructure maintenance. To ensure that market fees remain fair while covering these rising expenses, we are proposing the following changes:

Zone 1

The current fees for permanent traders in Zones 1 and 2 are the same. We are proposing to change this so that Zone 1 and Zone 2 prices are separated and the fee structure is in line with the temporary fees as both zones are already charged at a different price. Zone 1 fees will be increased by 20% due to the footfall and the increase of waste management in the location due to the high number of traders selling fruit and vegetables.

Zone 2 and 3

For non-fruit, vegetable, and street food stalls, fees will increase by 5%, along with a 2.2% adjustment for inflation, rounded to the nearest 50p. For fruit, vegetable, and street food stalls, a higher increase is proposed to offset the extra costs of daily waste management services, such as sweeping, waste removal, and end-of-day cleaning. The increase of fees will also include the set up of the branded gazebos that we invested in as part of the Good Growth funding we received in 2021. The revised fees will also support additional resources needed to address anti-social behaviour and illegal trading in the area. The proposed changes are outlined in Table 8.

Table 8 - Proposed fees and charges for Ridley Road Market

Benchmarking against other markets shows Hackney remains competitively priced compared to similar markets, as shown in Chart 6.

Well Street Market

Well Street Market currently operates for events only, so fees and charges will only increase to cover rising waste management costs, inflation, and the need for additional resources to manage anti-social behaviour and illegal trading in the area. The proposed changes are outlined in Table 9.

Street trading sites

Street trading sites in Hackney have become highly sought-after, occupying prime locations with high foot traffic, such as tube stations and town centres. However, the scattered nature of these sites leads to additional costs for dispersed waste management and the need for Officer resources and travel. 

To maintain a diverse range of products, fees for non-fruit, vegetable, and street food stalls will remain unchanged, except for a 2.2% inflation adjustment, rounded to the nearest 50p. However, due to rising waste management costs, fees for fruit, vegetable, and street food stalls will increase. The proposed changes are detailed in Table 10.

Events

The Council has consistently organised events across multiple markets to boost foot traffic and give back to the community. These events require significant resources, including hiring vendors, stewards, physical and digital marketing, and additional staff to manage the event from planning to execution. To cover rising maintenance and waste management costs, fees and charges for all stalls will be increasing. The proposed changes are detailed in Table 11.
 

Table 11 - Proposed fees and charges for Events and Private operator fees

Market and Street Trading Administration Fees

One of the significant reviews in the administrative fees is the licence application and renewal charges. The current fees that the Council charges does not cover the full costs of processing applications. This includes substantial resources dedicated to our full-time Licensing Officers, who carefully evaluate each application to give all applicants the best chance of succeeding in Hackney’s markets. 

The proposed fee will also help discourage applicants who often cause significant delays. This will allow the team to allocate resources more efficiently and maintain a high standard of service. The proposed changes are outlined in Table 12.

Table 12 - Proposed fees and charges for Market and Street Trading Administration Fees

New fees

We are pleased to be able to offer permanent licence options for sites that previously used to be street trading sites but have grown to become fully fledged market operations in their own right. The fees below are the proposed permanent and temporary fees and charges for these new permanent sites.

How to have your say

If you would like to discuss the proposals with Council officers before providing your feedback, we will be holding a series of drop-in sessions during the consultation period as follows:

In-person at Ridley Road Market Office:

• Friday 29th November 8:30AM - 10:30AM
• Monday 2nd Decemeber 5PM - 7PM
• Wednesday 4th December 11AM - 1PM

In-person at Lower Clapton Road Office (Step-free access): 

• Monday 9th December 5PM - 7PM
• Tuesday 17th December 5PM - 7PM

Online

• Thursday 21st November 9AM - 10AM
• Tuesday 26th November 6PM - 7PM
• Wednesday 27th November 11AM - 12PM
• Tuesday 3rd December 6PM - 7PM
• Thursday 12th December 5PM - 6PM
• Thursday 19th December 5PM - 6PM

What happens next?

Subject to consideration of any representations received, a formal decision to implement any revised fees and charges will be made by the Council’s cabinet following the consultation. It is anticipated that, subject to approval, the revised conditions would take effect from 1 April 2025, with all service users being notified at least one month in advance of their implementation.

Contact us

For further information on these proposals please contact the Markets team by calling 020 8356 5300 or by emailing: marketsservice@hackney.gov.uk

Accessibility statement

If you need any information on this consultation in a different format please email: marketsservice@hackney.gov.uk 

We’ll consider your request and get back to you in five working days.