The decision not to allow a continental market to take place in its usual spot in Wellingborough this month has been described as a ‘catastrophic’ by members of the town’s business community.
John Cable, executive director of Wellingborough BID, received the blow after applying to the hold the market in its usual place on March 20. In a reply, the council quoted its self-regulated Market Rights Policy, which states no market can be authorised within 6.6 miles of Wellingborough’s regular market.
Wellingborough Business Improvement District (BID) has joined forces with Wellingborough Chamber of Commerce and the Town Centre Partnership to demand the council re-think its move to ban the Continental Market from operating this month in Market Street – the same location it has used since launching five years ago.
The BID is paid for by businesses and stages events and activities aimed at encouraging people into the town centre through its Discover Wellingborough campaign.
Mr Cable said: “The decision to ban the Continental Market, which has been happily running in the same location for the past five years is catastrophic, a move which will jeopardise the future of the town centre.
“At a time when Wellingborough is facing one of the toughest trading times in its history, with the opening of the multi-million pound Rushden Lakes development on the horizon we can only see this ludicrous decision as a non-reversible loss to the town.”
Mr Cable along with BID chairman Chris Bailey met with the council’s three most senior heads of department, including Julie Thomas, head of planning and development, earlier this month to plead the council to retract its decision. However, the decision was upheld with members of the council also rejecting the move.
The business community says the Continental Market is a speciality short-term market, which cannot be seen to compromise the traditional market in any way.
Mr Bailey added: “We are calling on the council to do the right thing for the whole of Wellingborough.
“Our concerns about the Markets future are at a critical level. Our suggestion to help by re-locating the Continental Market to Pebble Lane, which would actually increase footfall to the Market Place even more has also fallen on deaf ears. It’s like the council is trying to lockdown the town centre.”
Speaking to the Northants Telegraph, a spokesman for Wellingborough Council said that last June the council adopted a market rights policy in which it recognised the importance of markets to the local economy and the character of the area.
Wellingborough BID, the Chamber of Commerce, Wellingborough Town Centre Partnership, Wellingborough Market Traders and other interested parties were consulted but no objections to the suggestion that markets should take place on the Market Square were raised.
The policy is aimed at protecting the traditional Wellingborough market from commercial events that will draw people away from it.
To encourage greater footfall to the market, a dedicated events space has been created and events are planned throughout the year to coincide with the relaunch of the market which is due to take place in early summer.
The continental market has been invited to use this space but has to date declined to do so because the continental market operator says Market Street is the only viable location for the event.
The application to hold the continental market on an alternative site within the town was considered by the cross-party market working group, who unanimously agreed to support the decision to refuse permission in-line with council policy.
However, they have said they are willing to consider an amendment to the adopted policy which may allow a continental market to be held later in the year, but any proposals for change will have to go through the democratic decision-making process.
Cllr Graham Lawman, chairman of the market working group, told the Northants Telegraph that the continental market is welcome to use the event space on the market.
The council spokesman told the Northants Telegraph that options for putting forward a business case to the council for a different approach to events in the town centre were suggested to the BID so council members could consider its policies in a public meeting.