Agenda item

The Cabinet is requested to consider the agenda report and its two appendices contained in the first agenda supplement, the second of which is exempt from publication and has been circulated to members and relevant officers only (see agenda item 19: Exclusion of the Press and the Public), and to make the following resolutions namely that:

(1)  Officers be authorised to renew the Street Trading Consent held by the current market operator for the running of the Wednesday Market for a further period of two years.

(2)  Improvements to the presentation of the market be obtained in accordance with the recommendations of the Task and Finish Group.

(3)  The Street Trading Consent do make provision for a Christmas Market to be held in the precinct for nine days in 2017 and 2018 (affecting one Wednesday market each year) and account be taken of this in the grant of a new Street Trading Consent with the possibility of an alternative trading day to be offered in lieu of the lost Wednesdays.

RESOLVED

(1)  That officers be authorised to renew the Street Trading Consent held by the current market operator for the running of the Wednesday Market for a further period of two years.

(2)  That improvements to the presentation of the market be obtained in accordance with the recommendations of the Task and Finish Group.

(3)  That the Street Trading Consent shall make provision for a Christmas Market to be held in the precinct for nine days in 2017 and 2018 (affecting one Wednesday market each year) and account shall be taken of this in the grant of a new Street Trading Consent with the possibility of an alternative trading day to be offered in lieu of the lost Wednesdays.

The Cabinet received and considered the agenda report and its two appendices in the first agenda supplement, the second of which was confidential Part II exempt material (copies of the report and the first appendix attached to the official minutes).

The report was presented by Mr Connor.

Mr Legood and Mr Foord were in attendance for this item.

Mr Connor said the first anniversary of the Chichester Wednesday market being held in North Street and East Street would be on 16 August 2017. The inception of the Wednesday market in the city centre precinct area of North and East Streets on a one-year trial basis was in response to a reported decline in the use of the traders’ market located in the Cattle Market (the Saturday market remained there). An associated Street Trading Consent (covering for example detailed operational practices and health and safety matters) was negotiated by officers with the market operator.

In March and May 2017 a Traders’ Market Task and Finish Group (TFG) met to assess the success or otherwise of the city centre trial market. This included a six-week public consultation carried out by CDC’s Communities team and it addressed city centre businesses, market traders and customers/visitors with the aim of assessing the operation of the market. The market operator also commissioned its own survey and separately arranged for city centre retailers to complete a short questionnaire. The Chichester BID was consulted. The TFG held a question and answer session attended by BID representatives and the market operator. A summary of the mixed consultation responses was in appendix 1 in the third agenda supplement. Residents were generally positive about the market eg that it was convenient and livened up the city and interest was expressed in having more fresh food outlets.  There was also negative feedback eg the market ‘obstructs shop fronts and similar goods are sold on the market to high street retailers’. Some retailers outside the precinct area considered the market had had a negative impact on their business although retailers on the pedestrianised streets tended to think that they benefitted from the presence of the market in proximity to their shops. In view of concerns expressed by businesses about quality, position (location of market) and presentation, the TFG agreed that these points needed further consideration with the market operator.  The traders who responded were unanimous in the view that they would continue to attend the market as long as it stayed in the city centre.

The report’s recommendations in section 3 were based on the TFG’s recommendations ie that officers be authorised to renew the Street Trading Consent held by the current market operator for the running of a Wednesday market for a further period of two years. Officers would continue to work with the operator to ensure that the improvements identified by the TFG as a result of the consultation exercise were addressed as recommended in para 3.2 of the report. Para 3.3 made provision with regard to Christmas markets.

The officers did not wish to add to Mr Connor’s introduction.

In the discussion the positive impact of having a city centre market in terms of variety and vibrancy was acknowledged while expressing the hope that the presentation issues would be satisfactorily addressed.

In response to members’ points about the appearance of the stalls, Mr Legood and Mr Foord said that notwithstanding the obvious benefits of the market being centrally located and offering goods which could not be purchased elsewhere, clearly issues such as the height of stalls and the extent to which they were obscuring shop fronts were key presentation matters to be addressed. Officers would be working closely with the operator and individual traders to address three particular issues, namely the need for (a) consistent stall skirts, (b) clear plastic canopies to avoid obscuring shop façades and (c) hand-made direction signs for the shops behind the stalls. Meat traders were welcome in principle but it was not currently possible to deliver products via a modest-sized vehicle.    

Decision

The Cabinet voted unanimously on a show of hands in favour of making the resolutions set out below.

RESOLVED

(1)  That officers be authorised to renew the Street Trading Consent held by the current market operator for the running of the Wednesday Market for a further period of two years.

(2)  That improvements to the presentation of the market be obtained in accordance with the recommendations of the Task and Finish Group.

(3)  That the Street Trading Consent shall make provision for a Christmas Market to be held in the precinct for nine days in 2017 and 2018 (affecting one Wednesday market each year) and account shall be taken of this in the grant of a new Street Trading Consent with the possibility of an alternative trading day to be offered in lieu of the lost Wednesdays.