Where are all the people

[Margaret Pilkington]

The current outside Market ...Peel St side is going to be knocked down.
The council have already sold the land that it stands on.
Stalls using this side of the market will be re-located inside the Market Hall.
There was no consultation, the stall holders were not given any alternative options.....it was a take it or leave it deal.

The council have no interest in maintaining a Market......and the demise of the town can be laid at the door of local politicians, both past and present.

Nothing to come into town for....is there?

[cashman]

Thats normal for this lot !! NO Consulting, pathetic but there you go. By the way Margaret how did you find out? no-one i know at this point was aware.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Greg Who has the cooked meat stall on the outside market is a friend of ours and he was telling us.

the stall was full of customers at the time so it is not a secret...it just has not been reported in the local paers(no surprise there as neither paper is really local anymore).

Greg sais he would not go into the inside market, but he has no option..it is that or shut...and he has a lot of regulars to serve.
I think that come the day he retires, that will be it.

[Margaret Pilkington]

There is absolutely nothing being done to keep the town centre going.

There is a Town Square...and we paid 1.5 million quid for it(OK...so the same amount was put in by the Heritage Trust Fund) this does not seem good value for OUR money.......and the tumbleweed blows across it.
Oh sorry...there was some sort of Chocolate Festival on Saturday...like that will bring people in.

[MoreJoe]

The old market stalls used to be a small business incubator. Get an idea, give it a shot, try out a stall, in some cases a share of a stall. If it takes off you are in Fat City. I can think of half a dozen examples of people who started that way and went on to thriving success. The market represented a chance without expensive commitment to long term leases.
Sad end to a "Market Town".
-MoreJoe

[Gremlin]

Have you any idea what the land will be used for Margaret?
What about the bric a brac and odds and sods dealers who use the outside market?
Seems strange that someone would want to buy a small strip of land between the market and a free car park.
Methinks someone wants to enlarge the parking and put meters up.

[Margaret Pilkington]

No Gremlin....I am not aware of who has bought this strip of land...or what they intend for it, but I suspect you are right.
As for the Flea Market....which is always busier than the regular market.....don't know how that will be accommodated...matbe in the underused Town Square.

I think that the failure of the market has been calculated.
(Many of the inside Market stalls have gone because they are uneconomic to run.....this will drive current traders indoors ??at a higher cost...and it won't be long before that is empty too)
Had the council wanted to make a go of the Market, then it would reduce the cost of the stalls.
It makes sense to me to have stall filled at a lower cost, than empty and making nothing.
Not only that a thriving market brings people from other towns...but it seems that is not what was wanted in this instance.

Moving the Bus station to Union St was the root cause of this lower use of the market...it was predictable...but of course the council did not want to see it.

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Moving the Bus station to Union St was the root cause of this lower use of the market...it was predictable...but of course the council did not want to see it.

or perhaps they were too thick?

[Margaret Pilkington]

No, Cashy, I really think they knew what they were doing and were playing the long game.
After all, the land the outside market stands on in Peel St is already sold.....and none of us knew of these plans.....and I still have not seen anything reported.

[landhusweg]

There's a good article in yesterday's Accrington Observer (Lancs Life):

https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashi...ngton-17022169

It would seem that the council have recognised the problems involved.

Cheers

[Margaret Pilkington]

This far too little and far too late.
They do not say what provisions will be made for the very successful Flea Market.

The Thursday Flea Market has far more occupied stalls, is busier and the footfall is higher because people WANT to see what is on offer.
Why can't the powers that be,see that occupied stalls(even at a cut price to the vendors) is good for the town?

The general Market has been neglected for far too long.....not enough attention has been paid to keeping the market going.....encouraging sellers, offering deals to sellers.

The inside Market too has not been used to its full potential.
It is not rocket science to be able to see that occupied stalls generate, not just money, but interest too.

A large open space is just that.....and no-one will come to see a large empty town square.
To be successful the Town Square needs to be used....and used for something that is interesting.....something that will bring people into town.....but if they come there needs to be something for them to spend both their time and money on....like a vibrant Market....not a car park.

[Margaret Pilkington]

And it looks like Gremlin was right.....it has been sold off to be a car park....like there are not enough parking spaces in town.
We are one of the few towns that have free car parking....and still it does not bring in trade.Why might that be then?

Might it have something to do with the dire experience that shopping in Accrington is?

It is alright to look at Altrincham for inspiration, but I am not sure their model would work here.
Something said by Cameron Smith the market manager rings some alarm bells....he mentions 'chancers' and those who just want rent free access to a stall for four weeks.

He should really be encouraging chancers....and maybe the four weeks rent free should be changed to a low flat fee for a short period of time.

If we could see more stalls occupied then a trip into town might be worthwhile.

But then it is all academic as the plans are already made....

The council really do not want a market...they just want to fill the inside market because they do not wish to be left with a grade II listed building that is bringing in no revenue and costing lots to maintain.....and that is the crux of this matter.

[cashman]

if you put cameron smiths brain in a budgie it would fly backwards, how that clown has got the job defies belief,

[Margaret Pilkington]

Well, it is time they got someone who is up to the task....well, that is if they are serious about solving the issues.