The ongoing saga of the indoor market continues as the Labour / Lib Dem cabinet heard confidential information regarding the financial arrangements between Darlington Borough Council and Market Asset Management (MAM)
Green and Conservative councillors have protested that a report dealing with such large sums of money should have been scrutinised by the cross-party Economy and Resources Committee – instead of being rubber-stamped by cabinet.
Concerns started not long after the Labour administration signed the deal with MAM when stories emerged of MAM’s complex financial arrangements along with offensive and inappropriate behaviour by one of the directors[1][2]. Questions still remain about whether the council received value for money from the contract they signed and are still dealing with today. This points to a lack of due diligence from the outset.
Councillor Roz Henderson said: “MAM has consistently over-promised and under delivered. The programme has been behind schedule and scaled back from the original proposal. The revolving door of food traders calls into question if they have chosen the right business model for the historic market building.
Cllr Henderson continued: “If, after proper scrutiny, there is to be an ongoing relationship between DBC and MAM this must be accompanied with much more transparency around the financial situation of the market and oversight by councillors and officers.”
Cllr Matthew Snedker concluded: “The Green Party will work to reinvigorate our town centre and see its future as a place for people to live, work and spend their free-time. We have all seen the town centre events growing in popularity year after year. Closer cooperation between the team who run the activity programme and the market should drive footfall and secure a brighter future for the market hall.”