Decision details

In accordance with Contract Standing Order (CSO) 8.03 as allowed under CSO 10.01.2D and in accordance with CSO 9.06.1, to award a contract for the operation of Tottenham Green Sunday Market for nine months from 1 July 2021 to 31 March 2022 for the existing contractor (Marika Gauci), for a total value of £5,995.

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that the market has been unable to operate in full over the past 10 months. To attract and maintain footfall, it has moved from being a weekly to a monthly market. There has also been an impact upon the number of stalls joining, with some stallholders not feeling comfortable to attend during a pandemic but have been more willing to participate upon a monthly basis. The market has occasionally not been held depending on lockdown restrictions.

The current market operator contract was already extended for one year to July 2021 as it was the intention to appoint a supplier for a further three years from summer 2021 through an open tender. However, with a further lockdown taking place, it is in the council’s interests to move the tender date to early 2022, with an operator to commence from 1 April 2022. In the current circumstances, the market contract opportunity would not be a very attractive proposition for other quality market operators. Therefore, a further nine months extension is required to effectively bridge this gap so as to seek tender returns at a more attractive time when pandemic restrictions have hopefully been fully lifted. This contract has previously been extended, therefore to enable the market to continue to operate in its current form, it is proposed to approve this new contract from the end of the current term (July 2021). This is the best option to ensure the continuing health of the market and to be an immediate resource to residents who depend upon it for their local essential retail shopping.

1. Do Nothing – This would mean the existing contract would expire and no markets would be held at Tottenham Green. This option would not enable the Council to economically activate the area and would be detrimental to longer term aspirations to grow and develop the market and patronage of Tottenham Green.

2. Go to competitive tender – In July 2020 it was envisaged that a return to post-pandemic ‘normal’ trading conditions would be achieved by summer 2021. However, with the Covid-19 pandemic not yet abated and some form of restrictions still likely to be in place, the attractiveness of an open tender to operate and develop the market with greater economic and social returns for the Council, is not expected to be high and so carries greater risk. Further risk would be to lose the existing operator’s goodwill and therefore be left without a market operator during the pandemic until a full tender process can be undertaken.