Outcry as new market in Swindon town centre is shut
8:20am Friday 26th October 2012 in Latest News
Trader Duncan Paget and market organiser Jack McLoud who are upset that Swindon Council has stopped the Thursday market in Havelock Square
traders and customers are upset about a decision to cancel a market in Havelock Square after Swindon Council voted to enforce its existing ban on street trading in the area.
Town centre management firm InSwindon set up the Thursday market six weeks ago in a bid to increase footfall for existing businesses, who fund the firm through a levy on business rates.
The council’s planning committee was told on Tuesday the organisation had gained planning permission.
But licensing officers were not approached and the market was technically illegal, because Havelock Street was a prohibited area for street trading.
The committee agreed to reinforce the ban and proposed to talk to InSwindon yesterday to encourage it to relocate to a legitimate site, with Wharf Green being the best option.
However, InSwindon’s chief executive, Simon Jackson, who claimed they had never intended the break the law, decided on Wednes-day to cancel the market immediately until further notice.
He claimed the market could not be moved to another location due to other events and activities, Yesterday, market organiser Jack McLoud and vegetable stallholder Duncan Paget stood in the square with copies of the Adver’s report to explain the situation to angry customers.
Mr Paget, of DS Paget and Co, which also has a stall at the Sunday farmers’ market at the Swindon Designer Outlet, said: “The customers we want are the ones that are here week after week after week and we built a reputation, and what’s happened has ruined our reputation.”
Customer Darren O’Connor, of Old Town, said: “We come here regularly. It’s quicker than going to the market on Sundays. It’s pathetic it’s been stopped.”
Another customer, Lynn Tracey, 49 of Toothill, said: “It was a good market, it was just getting going and to say there’s a technicality is really stupid.”
Mr McLoud, who runs markets across the south west, said he understood everything had been agreed with the council and environmental health officers had even paid a visit in previous weeks.
Richard Sell, of Mike McGuire Family Butcher, in Havelock Street, said: “Since the market we’ve noticed more people around the area and a little boost in trade and it’s a shame that it’s gone.”
Barry Cook, of the Cafelicious coffee shop, in Havelock Square, said: “Our trade increased consistently every Thursday because of the market.”
Nick Hayward, the manager of Swindon Tented Market, said he would welcome the market’s return to Market Street as it had increased footfall.
Comments(15)
TinkeyWinkey
says...
8:50am Fri 26 Oct 12
Why is this Council hell bent on turning any open space into a meeting point for all the down & outs, and the foul mouthed individuals that frequent them "every" day?
Donnja
says...
8:54am Fri 26 Oct 12
whitein
says...
10:01am Fri 26 Oct 12
stu2010
says...
11:00am Fri 26 Oct 12
TinkeyWinkey wrote:Totally agree, Swindon town center is dying, please turn off the life support machine!!!
Rather see the Market there than all the Chavs that sit around there!!
Why is this Council hell bent on turning any open space into a meeting point for all the down & outs, and the foul mouthed individuals that frequent them "every" day?
Robinonfire
says...
11:51am Fri 26 Oct 12
- Come to Swindon WHY?
- See all closed up shops
- Visit all the charity shops
- Visit all the Pound Shops
- And pay for parking...What a joke
Best thing for Swindon centre is to bring in a JCB and start again
I 2 Could B
says...
12:33pm Fri 26 Oct 12
The council should have worked with InSwindon and the market traders to arrive at an agreement where Havelock Street could be, legally, used for this market.
If the market was financially sustaining itself, other traders benefited from it and the public enjoyed using it, it does seem perverse for the council to effectively just shut it down.
Seems to me that this is precisely the kind of thing we should be encouraging in Swindon town centre, especially during the current economic climate.
1 2 Could B
says...
12:48pm Fri 26 Oct 12
Coolhandkeith
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12:56pm Fri 26 Oct 12
Jason Reeve
says...
1:18pm Fri 26 Oct 12
1 2 Could B wrote:Now that's good. Very funny indeed.
Swindon Borough Clownschool strikes again
1 2 Could B
says...
6:03pm Fri 26 Oct 12
Coolhandkeith wrote:Are you sure it was Faringdon Road?
Years ago I remember when the outdoor market was in Farindon road there used to be dozens of other stalls and vans all over the town centre selling all sorts of food toys jewellry and household goods you could barely move with all the crowds of people the shops made good money so did the stallholders, then the council moved in oh we will charge them all extortionate rates to park here or they can move on and slowly but surely the council moved them all on and what do we have now , a deserted town centre full of gangs and drunks and coffee shops and pound shops well done SBC you should be renamed SGR Swindon grim reapers
I vaguely remember a Market in East Street Car park, Fleet Street
MrAngry
says...
6:16pm Fri 26 Oct 12
There was also the indoor market in the Brunel Centre where House of Fraser is.
Can't remember whether they all co-existed or replaced each other though.
Mushymushy
says...
9:51pm Fri 26 Oct 12
Coolhandkeith
says...
7:16am Sat 27 Oct 12
itsamess3
says...
4:38pm Sat 27 Oct 12
All developed which left us with a new Tented market that eventually closed.
All very busy and brought folks from far and wide.--and we had some of the best shops around.
Todays Swindon is tatty shops and full of charity and bargain basements selling rubbish.
TheBlackHand says...
8:30am Fri 26 Oct 12