Tradex Bazaar stallholders protest at City Hall (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Tradex Bazaar stallholders protest at City Hall

5:57pm Tuesday 10th July 2012 in Bradford

Stallholders from a Bradford market that was shut down for trading illegally for the past nine months today lobbied councillors outside City Hall.

Mohammed Saeed, who set up Tradex Bazaar at the former Shires Bathroom site in Beckside Road in August last year, opening four days a week with more than 250 stalls, has vowed to appeal against the move.

But today angry traders handed over a petition to the Council, appealing for more time to sort out their businesses and relocate.

The market had been operating without the correct planning permission and markets licence from Bradford Council. An enforcement notice was issued as well as a stop notice which took effect yesterday.

Trader Tanvir Shah, on behalf of the Tradex traders, said: “We have been treated unfairly by the Council. We had 36 hours' notice in total. What are we supposed to do? Where are we supposed to go? There are just over 200 units in that building - that’s a lot of liveihoods at stake - the Council’s not helping us. There’s the Eid and Ramadan festivals coming up.

"The building’s owner invested money in Bradford to revitalise a deprived area but the Council is putting a stop to that. We just need more time.”

A second market, The Bazaar in Drummonds Mill, Lumb Lane, was also told to stop trading or face court action.