Cheshire East is to hold talks with town councils, landowners and the private sector over the future management of its markets in Congleton, Macclesfield, Crewe and Wilmslow.

Councillor Mick Warren (Macclesfield, Ind), portfolio holder for planning, housing and regeneration, said the council's markets provide an important contribution to town centre vitality but they currently operate at a financial loss, and Cheshire East doesn't have the resources to maximise their potential.

He told Thursday's, October 8, cabinet meeting: "The report [before cabinet members] therefore proposes a market-by-market approach, exploring opportunities to work with town councils, landowners, and private sector partners to secure more sustainable management arrangement and reduce the council's ongoing financial exposure.

"The recommendations are intended to protect the wider economic and community benefits of markets, while identifying opportunities for more effective management and investment in their future."

The report related to both the indoor and outdoor market at Congleton, the indoor market only at Macclesfield, the current managed indoor market hall at Crewe and the council-run Wilmslow Market, which, the cabinet was told, is a single stall.

Recommendations which were approved varied according to each market but effectively authorised officers to engage with adjacent landowners, relevant town councils, and private sector organisations accordingly.

Councillor Stewart Gardiner (Knutsford, Con) raised concerns that if some of the four markets were to remain under the control of Cheshire East and others were taken over by town councils that could be double taxation.

"My concern would be if everybody else's market was run by their town council or by an arm's length organisation, and Cheshire East was still funding and running for instance Macclesfield… if all residents of Cheshire East were funding that and then funding their own markets in their own town, that's what I mean by double taxation," he said.

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Councillor Rob Vernon (Macclesfield, Lab), portfolio holder for communities and engagement, said: "I know that our town councils are really, really keen to engage with this."

He added: "This idea of double taxation is something that gets chucked around quite regularly when we have these sort of conversations, and I would say, it isn't a case of double taxation, you're not paying for the same thing twice.

"We've heard from councillor Warren that Cheshire East, with the resources that it has, is not able to get the best out of these markets.

"We are therefore looking at opportunities for others to contribute and getting the best out of those markets.

"If that turns out that one of those options is for a town council to contribute its own resources, and that by virtue of that it determines it should put its precept up to do so, that's not a case of double taxation, that is a case of topping-up to ensure that a town has a far better service than it would otherwise have.

"It's good for the economy, it's good for local residents."