Have a say in Swindon's town centre market plans
8:30am Wednesday 6th March 2013 in News By David Wiles
Coun Emma Faramarzi
THE public is to be consulted this week over plans to establish a market in Swindon town centre.
InSwindon, the town centre management firm, decided in October to cancel its weekly food market in Havelock Square after the council voted to enforce its ban on street trading there.
Then it called off its popular annual Christmas Market because Canal Walk, like much of the town centre, is a prohibited street.
Now Swindon Council’s licensing committee has launched a consultation on the idea of removing the ban in all or some streets in the town centre, with a condition limiting trading to specific times and dates, or to weekly or themed markets.
Town centre businesses will be asked what they think and and the public will have a chance to voice their opinions at the Central Library from 9am tomorrow and at the Brunel Centre on Friday from 10am to 5pm.
The options are a weekly general market, weekly food market, themed markets, Christmas market, and monthly car boot sale. Potential sites are the old Post Office site off Fleming Way, The Parade, Canal Walk, Havelock Square, outside the Town Hall, Wharf Green, and Fleet Street/Bridge Street.
Coun Emma Faramarzi (Con, Priory Vale), who is heading the market working group, said: “Before I was ever involved with the council, when I was the Federation of Small Businesses chairman, we expressed our disappointment that the ban was implemented. We didn’t think it was good for the town centre.
“The more people that take part in the consultation the better, because really there’s no point in us implementing changes to the prohibitions if only three people tell us what they want.”
South Swindon MP Robert Buckland said: “I welcome the proposed consultation because I think there’s a desire among local residents for more diversity in the town centre and I think a market, sensitively placed, could help deliver that.”
The consultation will run for 21 days from March 7, but comments can be submitted online now.
Coun Faramarzi has set up a Facebook page – Swindon Town Centre Market Consultation, – and comments can be emailed to licensing@swindon.gov.uk, using the subject heading “Swindon Town Centre Market Consultation”.
Coun Faramarzi hopes the market will be running by June.
Comments(8)
RichardR1
says...
11:24am Wed 6 Mar 13
whaddahey?!
says...
11:54am Wed 6 Mar 13
Yes, the current council were guilty of assisting in the removal of the street traders and that was stupid. But the decision to close the tented market wasn't theirs as they didn't own it, did they?
If 'markets are dead in this town', then presumably your view will be endorsed by nobody expressing an interest in becoming a trader. Only one way to find out.
I'm no great fan of many of the decisions taken by councillors and unelected business moguls in the past, but that doesn't mean that their jobs are easy or the answers simple. I think its a real shame that so much of what passes for debate is reduced to the usual 'black is white and white is black' mutual slagging and blame between conservative and labour. No wonder we're in such a mess.
This move looks at least like a step in the right direction to me.
derrick E
says...
8:36pm Wed 6 Mar 13
return street traders to the town centre bring back the florist by debenham's. the whole place could do with being brightened up.why was the tented area remove??
LocalBob80
says...
10:49pm Wed 6 Mar 13
I'm no great fan of many of the decisions taken councillors .......
I think its a real shame that so much of what passes for debate is reduced to the usual 'black is white and white is black' mutual slagging and blame between conservative and labour. No wonder we're in such a mess.
Unfortunately councillor Famarazi is a prime example.
She was formerly chair of The Federation of Small Businesses, so it's unfortunate that her recent opportunity to debate, in the recent council budget, consisted of nothing much more than vain comments and digs at other councillors
It's on Youtube
23 and a half minutes into this video
http://m.youtube.com
/#/watch?v=_sTIXRxEs
K0&desktop_uri=%2Fwa
tch%3Fv%3D_sTIXRxEsK
0&gl=GB
LocalBob80
says...
10:54pm Wed 6 Mar 13
Swindon Borough Council Budget Setting
( Video 2. Twenty three and a hal minutes in )
Always Grumpy
says...
8:27am Thu 7 Mar 13
LocalBob80 wrote:Watched some of that - she doesn't come across as very skilled at public speaking. Listening to her monosyllabic droning was akin to watching paint dry - pretty dire in fact.
I'm no great fan of many of the decisions taken councillors .......
I think its a real shame that so much of what passes for debate is reduced to the usual 'black is white and white is black' mutual slagging and blame between conservative and labour. No wonder we're in such a mess.
Unfortunately councillor Famarazi is a prime example.
She was formerly chair of The Federation of Small Businesses, so it's unfortunate that her recent opportunity to debate, in the recent council budget, consisted of nothing much more than vain comments and digs at other councillors
It's on Youtube
23 and a half minutes into this video
http://m.youtube.com
/#/watch?v=_sTIXRxEs
K0&desktop_uri=%
2Fwa
tch%3Fv%3D_sTIXRxEsK
0&gl=GB
StillPav
says...
10:12am Thu 7 Mar 13
Namely, do people go to the Outlet Centre specifically to visit the farmers market, or do people visiting the Outlet buy something from the farmers market while passing through?
I would suggest that the majority of customers at the farmers market are actually first and foremost visiting the Outlet Centre, which has easier parking, a better selection of shops and a more pleasant experience than visiting the town centre.
Morsey says...
10:22am Wed 6 Mar 13
They did their damndest to destroy the 'Tented Market' ... and after closure have more or less succeeded, following it up with total inability to accept that the old Swindon was, in fact, a market town. Now, also, Blunsdon Market would be dead already, if there was no second-hand car boot sale. Everyone is having a closing down sale!
Of course, 90% of current Tory politicians in town were part of the influx of money-grabbers looking to rape the town of all that it stood for, and try to create what it is not and never will be.
This is the most blatant, 'fearful of total wipeout at the next Council and Parliamentary Elections' pandering to some of those whom they know are more in the know about what the town needs than the 'Influx Gang' from the right!
Markets are now dead in this town and traders are not so stupid that they cannot see through this ploy. Cheap publicity, Mate!