I presently employ 3 staff who have worked for me, one for 30 years, one for 15 years, and my son 8 years; all of which have young families. We all work hard to pay our way in life. I’m not only losing everything I’ve worked for, but laying off my staff will really hurt me, because they have worked hard for me through the good times and the bad times of Market trading over the past years.....
Whenever a huge monetary grant for 'improving' a faltering town centre is given by national government, such as that given to West Northants Council for Northampton Town Centre, you will see swarms of so-called 'consultants' gathering there, like flies around a fresh horse manure, eager to suck their share. Hired anonymous 'suits' with few principles; 'yes-men' eager to plan whatever a council wants, in order to get their snouts in the trough and get well paid.
In the new design chosen for Northampton Marketplace, the market traders have been sentenced to two years in the wilderness; the well-being of the market traders seems to have been the very last thing to be taken into consideration. This shows the arrogance of the designers Quarterbridge, and the amazing lack of human interest by local Councillors.
In two years time, without help now, Northampton market will not exist.
The rent is not the only problem down there, as us market traders have to put up with the falling footfall of customers; the anti-social behaviour of the street drinkers and dealers; and the stink of the alleys surrounding the market which are used for toilets in bad weather now that winter is upon us. The market-place has fallen into what might be called a medieval atmosphere.
As I have pointed out before, Northampton Borough Council's so-called 'Consultation' process for changes to our Town Centre, and particularly our Market Square, is deeply flawed. About a thousand people were involved in this 'Consultation'. That is rather less than 0.5% of the population of Northampton, which is over 230,000; so NBC 'Consulted' less than half of one percent of all the people who live in Northampton, the biggest Town in England!
As I have recently remarked, there is a grave danger of this 'Indoor Food Hall' proposed by NBC for the top of the Market Square, becoming another White Elephant, just like Market Walk now is, and has been for years. Why, when the council already have one White Elephant to show off to visitors, do they want two? Shoppers never ever come into town to see white elephants. Ever.
'The Fitzy Charter' by Andrew Starsmore.
Fitzy should be classified by English Heritage as the bedrock of the market community for generations, as well as that of the town of Northampton. People of Northampton have 'The Fitzy Charter'. For 570 years - sorry, 57 years, Fitzy has been a fruit & veg trader on Northampton Market providing a service that money cannot buy.
I see there is talk of another £150 K to further explore the idea of Northampton's Town Centre Masterplan. Before further 'exploration' is done, there are any number of basic questions to be answered. Only if these are given satisfactory answers should money be spent exploring further.
I see 'toxic Tony' Blair has been busy again recently, frantically jumping out of his box to try to stop us leaving the EU, as he has done many times in his desperate bids to curry favour with the EU Commission and become EU President.
Shuttered Stalls?
Shuttered stalls on Northampton Market? To help bring our market into the modern world, and to make it more competitive against the supermarkets, a limited number of shuttered stalls would give many advantages, like refrigerated storage of perishable goods, for example.
← Archives