Doncaster Conservatives leader calls for markets to come back in-house at Doncaster Council
Doncaster Market should be brought back under the control of the local council at its next budget, the leader of the Conservatives group has said.
Councillor Steve Cox revealed he would like to see the local markets brought back in-house by the City of Doncaster Council, after the operation of the venue was transferred to Market Assets Management (Doncaster) Ltd (MAM) in May 2019.
He said: “We are a market town that should be a good market town. We should be focussed on that, instead of trying to be something we’re not.
“We have the authority as a council to run a market.”
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Cllr Cox said bringing the Doncaster Markets back into council management would be his big dream for the 2026/27 council budget.
Mayor Ros Jones and senior officers at the council will likely begin working on the budget for the next financial year in the coming weeks, before it is presented to full council in February.
Council tax is the most visual form of tax for many people. It is paid, often via direct debit, after someone has been paid, unlike other taxes which are deducted from an employee’s pay packet before pay day.
Despite well-documented ongoing and looming pressures facing local authorities, Cllr Cox said he did not believe the maximum increase in council tax was necessary.
He said: “We’re not going to go bust. We are stable. Putting it up, there needs to be some movement maybe, not the maximum.”
Councillors and officers will be able to make a better judgement regarding an increase to council tax when the next government settlement comes in, Cox said.
In the 2025/26 budget, Doncaster Council increased council tax by just 3.99 per cent in total, the lowest in the region, and lower than the maximum increase of 4.99 per cent.
Mayor Jones said it meant council tax in Doncaster remained the lowest in Yorkshire.
However, Cllr Cox did say there needed to be bigger investment in social housing and funding for St Leger Homes of Doncaster – the arms-length organisation charged with managing and maintaining local council housing.
Cox said: “We know that there is a need for social housing and there always has been and always will.
“The Mayor wanting to say they have the lowest council tax in Yorkshire means we don’t have the money for maintenance.
“It’s becoming quite obvious that St Leger is not getting the funding it needs.”