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Graham, Tom and Ian
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Cheadle and Gatley Lib Dems are moving
Cheadle and Gatley Lib Dems are moving
What were the local issues four decades ago?
Cheadle and Gatley Lib Dems are moving
Stockport Market petition misses the mark
by Lib Dem team on 19 October, 2015
A petition on 38 degrees opposing Stockport Council’s decision to “close Stockport Market in its present location, and reverse the decision to relocate it away from the historic market place.” has got more than 5,000 signatures in just a few days.
There’s just one problem – there is no such proposal.
If someone at the Council suggested closing down the market in its current location, I would be fighting it tooth-and-nail.
In reality, exactly the opposite is being proposed. As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, the plan we have is to improve and grow the market in its current location, changing the mix of stalls to something that will attract more people to spend more money in our historic market hall.
I am absolutely committed to having a successful, busy market in our historic marketplace. If the 5,000 people who have signed the petition were regular users of Stockport market, it would be thriving and packed. Instead it is under-used.
If, like me, you want to build a more successful market in the historic heart of Stockport, I urge you to support us.
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11 Comments
It always seems fairly busy to me. I get the impression the purpose of these proposals to ‘change the mix of stalls’ is actually to kick out those not deemed trendy enough.
Keeping up with the Jones’s in Altrincham and turning a useful community asset into a temporary ‘foodie’ tourist hotspot until the next one comes along is not the way to go in my view. Wholesale change is not required – just a bit of tweaking.
John – I disagree on it being busy, and I have to say that I’ve yet to speak to a single market trader who thinks footfall isn’t a problem.
We’ve tried tweaking over the last few years, but it simply hasn’t worked in getting more people to shop there.
Maybe an extra bit of tweaking which might help would see it regularly open till after 4pm so that people who work can use it during the week?
I’ve no problem with that John – but the traders (understandably) have never gone for it.
I’ve always said I’d like there to be something happening at the marketplace 7 days a week and into the early evening, whether it’s a regular market, special event or something else.
I think we can do that, but not with the current market.
I replied to 38 Degrees, though didn’t sign it, pointing out that perhaps reading the document BEFORE starting a petition might have been helpful.
I’m fully supportive of the Altrincham model, having been there a number of times now, it’s a buzzy, busy place that’s never quiet. A similar development in the market hall will enhance the current market square vibe.
The ‘model’ doesn’t belong to anyone, least of all to Altrincham. Improving the market will help people with good business ideas access to a great location at low financial risk, this will allow them to compete against the established businesses that seem to monopolise and genericise town centres up and down the country.
I am still ploughing through the Market Place and Underbanks Master Plan but there is one telling statistic (and I know there are detractors about “statistics”) which shows that Stockport Market is open 27.5 hrs p.week, + 7 hrs 3/4 Sundays. Altrincham Market Hall is open 60 hrs p week + 4/4 Sundays special markets. The Arndale is open 72hrs p week Mon-Sun.
That’s serious competition in my book – Stockport needs to address the problem!!
Absolutely Estelle – it’s an argument I’ve been making for three years now. Many of the current traders aren’t willing to open for more hours. I can understand that, but we need something more for the market.
Council short term greed, and corruption is to blame for destroying a thriving,community market, not the hard working stall holders, yet again the councils comtept for working class people shines through. How they sleep at night I dont know, no civic pride. What a joke they are.
Hi Simon – those are serious allegations. I believe they’re entirely untrue, but if you have the evidence to back them up then please present it.
Hi Iain, in the 1970s-80s stockport marketplace was thriving, now its a ghost town, shops and pubs mostly shut, we had roughleys bikeshow which had people from all over europe coming,pubs taking months earnings in a day,thousands raised for childrens charity,and it was vetoed for a hat festival? Sure the twelve who attended enjoyed it.what happened over sk solutions missing millions?