Fairtrade Fortnight

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Madhatter

If people still shop there why is it a shadow of its former self, why can't they afford the rents that the council needs to charge to bring it up to date? why is there nothing upstairs in the market hall?.
To go totally free trade would kill it I agree, but realistically, if most stalls start selling a few token fairtrade items, it would qualify it to be something your neighbouring town aren't.
out of curiousity which are the poorer areas up there and which are the more afluent. Down here stratford warwick and leamington are more affluent than here coleshill and nuneaton/bedworth, they get all the money .

The main reason the outdoormarket died on it's arse was that it was moved and redeveloped about five years ago. The rents went up, and lots of specialist traders moved out. Most of it was mainly covered, and is now open to the elements when the rain blows in. It used to be the best, and busiest local market around, alas no more.

The Victorian Market Hall has never had stalls upstairs, That is, and was designed for storage and stall holder's facilities.

The nearest affluent area to us is the Ribble Valley, with Clitheroe and it's small but bust market at it's centre.

[shakermaker]

Originally Posted by garinda

Clitheroe and it's small but bust market at it's centre.

Didn't know Clitheroe had twinned with Amsterdam

[garinda]

Originally Posted by shakermaker

Didn't know Clitheroe had twinned with Amsterdam

Lol, you have to be over 18, to get in. It's just behind the cheese stall.

Fancy silly old me makin' a mistake.

The shame.....the shame.

[Acrylic-bob]

The main reason that Accrington Markets failed was because ASDA moved in and decided to begin to sell everything. The council's response to falling Market revenue was, not to ask why and then do something about it, but to allow ASDA to build an even bigger store so they could sell more things and put even more local shopkeepers out of business, and also to start to put market rents up to cover the shortfall. Thus the higher the rent became, there were fewer stall holders who could afford to pay it and the bigger ASDA became fewer people did their shopping on the Market. You can't really blame the shoppers, ASDA has made it so easy for them. The only people to blame, as usual, are the myopic halfwits we elect to represent us who would not recognise public consultation if it turned up with bells ringing and sirens sounding.

[Gayle]

Whilst I agree with you on the majority of what you've said A-B, I don't think the Market Hall failed BECAUSE of Asda. I think Asda was probably the catalyst for the problems but I think that lack of foresight was the real reason that the Market Hall failed. Other towns have succeeded when supermarkets have come in.

[shakermaker]

There's a lot of factors in this; I think location is a big one. ASDA is only a short walk away and has a wider stock available...despite it's total lack of friendly personality.

[Madhatter]

Sorry rindy your way off, the rest of you aren't, there is a general downturn in market stalls turnover all over the uk, and this is caused not by on specific company but a change in shopping trends. Although what you've said rindy probably didn't help even though in theory it should have. People don't go to markets to buy good priced stuff anymore cos they can buy it from a supermarket. This is why you need good quality stalls that offer what people want but also something different that burnleys market doesn't.

It used to be the best, and busiest local market around, alas no more.

Strange but Rawtenstall claim to have had the best market around, and also wasn't it the biggest?.

[Madhatter]

Gail all markets are struggling but I think your right. I recently went to birkenhead indoor market and it's busy and succesful. The indoor market at Hanley Stoke on Trent does good too, and I'm sure there's dozens more. I think outdoor markets more than indoor markets are out of favour. The succesful ones seem to mostly be part of a shopping centre or right by one, rather than on it's own out in the street, so if they made that market hall like a shopping centre, like the festival hall used to be in trafford centre, with a cafe with a view and the clock, maybe it would work.

Do you ever have farmers markets, or french markets?

[SPUGGIE J]

The indoor market at Hanley is how to run a indoor maket. As the shopping centre is directly above it benifits immensley. Mind you there is a good selection of shops in Hanley both commen and specialist.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Madhatter

Sorry rindy your way off, the rest of you aren't, there is a general downturn in market stalls turnover all over the uk, and this is caused not by on specific company but a change in shopping trends. Although what you've said rindy probably didn't help even though in theory it should have. People don't go to markets to buy good priced stuff anymore cos they can buy it from a supermarket. This is why you need good quality stalls that offer what people want but also something different that burnleys market doesn't.

It used to be the best, and busiest local market around, alas no more.

Strange but Rawtenstall claim to have had the best market around, and also wasn't it the biggest?.

Sorry I can't make head nor tail of this post, it makes absolutely no sense to me.

By the way Rawtenstall market is, and always was much smaller than Accrington.

Unless you've visited the old Accrington market I don't see how you can possibly comment.

As for the demise of the market it is down to it being moved, whose planning was passed by HBC, although of course other factors are at work, such as people visiting supermarket's for a once a week shop.

The suggestion that the people of Accrington would benefit if it became the first Freetrade marketplace in the country is ludicrous.

I think a few more visits here would be wise before anymore comment, and you can concenterate on turning your little piece of the Midlands into the new Hay-on-Wye.

[Madhatter]

Basically it says your wrong rindy and gayle ab shaker and spuggie are right.
Also I didn't say anything about Rawtenstall, I said 'rawtenstall claim to have', and I asked if it's the biggest, because I think they claim that too.

I don't need to visit your market to know what national trends are. The national trend is that markets are not as popular as they were, regardless of wether they've been moved or not. Thats due to supermarkets and a change in peoples shopping habits. Moving a market usually makes it more popular, and thats based on what happens nationally not just in accy. People like the 'new-ness' of it.
My comments about your market are based on whats been said on here, in this thread and other market threads.

Atherstone will never be the new hay-on-wye, it will be the new Atherstone, a unique booktown full of character. Why would we want to be the new hay-on-wye, why want to be another town, when A town can be itself. Why would you want accy to be Burnley or Blackburn, you've got high street shops, Woolworths, M&S etc why would you want the same shops as you've got a few miles that way, and that way and down in bury.
When you lot say your going shopping for the day, where do you go? accy or burnley? The answer is probably burnley.
People from rawtenstall will probably go accy and Burnley
People from Burnley will go blackburn
People from Burnley and Blackburn are unlikely to go to accy or rawtenstall. Blackburn probably go to Preston.
Based on that, it's very difficult to get people to go to a small town. Why would they, even if you had some high street shops, you don't go out to a small town for the day if you can get what it offers in a big town. Offer something different that’s not in the big towns and it changes everything, small unique shops, nice quaint interesting shopping area. That’s what Atherstone is aiming for. Atherstone is sandwiched between two towns, Tamworth 9 miles, and Nuneaton 4 miles, both better, especially Tamworth, which has excellent in town and a well designed out of town centre. We're surrounded by walsall, Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Solihull, Coventry, Leicester, Nottingham and derby. so we stand no chance of having high street shops.
One town that goes against this theory is Rawtenstall, it's a small town, yet has high street shops. I'm assuming that that’s because of it's gyratory towns and the valley, but it is rare.

[garinda]

Well I think Mad we will have to agree to disagree.

You think you are right, I KNOW I'm right.

[Acrylic-bob]

Well I suppose that there is little point in crying over spilt milk. What's done is done and whether we approve or not, ASDA is here and shows little inclination to go away.

How then do we skew the playing field back in favour of the small independent retailer?

BRITCLIFFE, TAKE NOTE!

The first step is obvious; USE ASDA LESS. The markets and the independents may charge a few pennies more for the same items but your extra pennies will help keep people in business, protect jobs and keep the market alive. Never has the adage "USE IT, OR LOOSE IT" been more pertinent.

Planning can also be used as a weapon, because government inquiries and interference will do nothing to help we must try and persuade the planning comittee that kow-towing to the major chains is not and never was a good idea.

Planning could relax parking restrictions in the town centre making ASDA's carpark less attractive.

Planning could also turn down applications for extensions.

Planning could also reject the recent re-application from Peel Holdings for the Whitebirk site.

Planning could ban the garish plastic signeage which is employed by the major chains and which makes every high street look like every other high street.

Planning could also halt the applications for change of use on retail premises to stop the inexorable march of Solicitors offices and Estate Agencies.

And lastly, ADVERTISE THE MARKET! What is the point of having one of the few remaining Victorian Market Halls if nobody knows it's here?


Just a few thoughts, maybe other members could come up with a few more.

[Madhatter]

Well Parking does put people off, especially me if i have to pay, my money is precious, it could go towards something usefull.

Advertising is important, but hwat are you advertising. Is it worth advertising in its present state. Our market is in dire need of something. It's been full several times, it's been advertised. people came. And then the market died again.
Our local paper today... Tamworth herald

[BillGreene]

Planning *cannot* be used as a weapon it can only be used to control within pre-defined policies.

A planning committee must have policies, that are in line with both Regional and National policies. Local policies can flavour a national/regional policy but it cannot be contrary to a Regional or National policy.

If a planning committe rejects a planning aplication and that rejection is seen by a Government Inspector to be malicious then not ony will the Government Inspector allow the planning applicaiton but can make HBC pay all the costs incurred by the person who put in the application and that could amount to thousands of pounds because lawyers and barristers get involved.