Sir – Being a former tenant, now thankfully a mere spectator, I have followed with interest the machinations of the review of rents in the Covered Market.
The city council agreed to apply the result of five cases it forced to arbitration to the other 40 or so traders.
The council has refused to honour this undertaking; however, claiming the arbitrator in amending his original award produced a flawed result.
The council is now insisting on a 20 per cent increase backdated for over two years.
Councillor Mary Clarkson’s letter (May 29) gives the council’s first explanation of the alleged mistake. It seems the council was happy with the result of the original award in which, we are told, the arbitrator recommended increases averaging close to four per cent for the next five years.
According to my arithmetic this produces an increase more like 12 per cent on the old rent. So how has the council conjured up the figure of 20 per cent? Is it still in the ‘think of a number and double it’ mode?
Alan Lester, Abingdon
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