As a former West Pier trader I would like to point out every stallholder was given repeated assurances the market was legal and that a licence to operate existed.
On that basis, we were charged £20 per pitch each day on weekends and £10 each weekday. In addition, we were obliged to pay an additional £50 each to secure the rights to trade for the summer season.
As such, we assumed we were trading legally and did so in good faith.
Brighton and Hove Council gave us 24 hours' notice to quit, suggesting we find an alternative market. There are no comparable markets in Brighton and the council has certainly not offered us a new site.
It only provides 30 legal street pitches and there is a four-year waiting list for these. There is also a bylaw prohibiting mobile stalls and there are no licensing clauses or exemptions which allow artists and craftsmen to display and sell their work.
In short, virtually nothing is permitted by the council.
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