I would like to keep the general public up to date with current goings on regarding the proposed new market layout, because Northampton Borough Council has rejected the layout plan favoured by the traders.
Therefore the market traders' committee has registered its disapproval. We have suggested to the council that as we want one layout and they want another, perhaps the public should decide.
Our 'Save the Market' campaign has begun, where we have laid out our case for our layout, pointing out that the revenue from our layout would be more than from the council's layout.
The council seems to favour an events area, which brings in no dosh, over the market which gave them an overall profit of over a quarter of a million pounds last year.
The council's plan will cut down on the present trading area, giving fewer stalls, and this at a time when market traders up and down the country are dropping like flies, and should be given every encouragement as an endangered species.
The council has already had an events area - usually an empty space - for over two years, and it hasn't brought them any profit at all. In the last financial year it cost them about £45,000 to put events on, because very few events wanted to pay the council for standing there. So if they now go ahead and commandeer a larger space, does that mean they will be forking out £70,000, £80,000, or even £100,000 a year to put on occasional events?
Events that are costly to put on, generate no profit, and generally are not well-attended and do not benefit the market traders of Northampton.
Are we in the hands of well-meaning berks who haven't a clue, or is there a more sinister agenda afoot for gradually closing down Northampton Market? If it's the latter, they are progressing dangerously well, and there won't be much left of Northampton Market in two or three years.
I have stood in three elections now, including a General Election, and with another General Election looming soon I have this plea to this Liberal-Democrat council: Don't kill off Northampton Town Centre and its Market; listen to the market traders if you still want a market and a busier town centre and still want to be in power two years from now.
So far as it is able, the market traders' committee will fight for the interests of all traders and use any options open to us in this matter. Please be assured that I will endeavour to keep you up to date with all goings on as and when they happen. The fight goes on.
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