Published in this week’s Stockport Express (1 May 2019), is a letter from Stockport Labour’s cabinet member for economy and regeneration, Cllr Kate Butler, outlining all issues past, present and future regarding Stockport’s outdoor market. We have reproduced* the letter here for your convenience:
Dear Stockport Express
Stockport’s Covered Market is now at 100% occupancy and very much open for business. Over thirty independent retailers trade from the Market Hall with regular outdoor markets like Foodie Friday, the Makers Market and specialist Sunday markets like Vintage Village attracting large crowds to the Market Place.
However, during the week the outdoor market has struggled for a number of years to attract a sufficient number of traders to be financially viable with sometimes only a handful of traders setting up. Taken as an average per week, trader numbers on the outdoor market have dropped from 74 in 2014/15 to just 25 in 2017/18. Sadly, this is a picture replicated all over the country.
This is a real shame especially as footfall to the Covered Market – saved from closure by Stockport Labour in 2016 – has increased by 11% over the last year (Jan-March 2018 compared with Jan-March 2019). And that 11% excludes the extra numbers generated by Foodie Friday.
The bottom line is that the outdoor market has been losing tens of thousands of pounds every year. We didn’t think it was fair that Stockport’s council tax payers should subsidise the market in its current form so we tasked our contractors Market Place Management (MPM) with bringing the entire markets operation to a cost neutral position.
MPM notified traders in November 2018 that they planned to suspend the outdoor market in January and February, which are traditionally difficult trading months, to come up with a long term sustainable plan.
That plan included a further suspension of the outdoor market to concentrate on what we know works and MPM gave traders four weeks’ notice rather than just the one day’s notice as laid out in the terms of their trading licences. They didn’t have to do this, they just thought it was fair.
Themed and speciality markets are thriving and bring with them a strong following and a loyal customer base so, building on the success of the Makers Market and Foodie Friday, a new monthly Artisan Market launched on Saturday 27th April.**
This is a new, complementary offer to attract a whole new clientele from near and far. And this is just the start. Nothing is off the table as long as it’s financially sustainable and is a quality offer that meets customers’ needs.
Together with increased visitor numbers generated by the Angel, Project 53, Blackshaws, the Produce Hall, the Baker’s Vaults, Remedy Bar, and the re-opened Cocked Hat, a reinvigorated market offer marks an exciting new phase in the proud history of Stockport’s celebrated Market Place.
Since May 2016 we have put Stockport’s beautiful and unique historic core right at the heart of our regeneration plans and we will continue to do so.***
*Please do buy a copy of the Stockport Express if you can. Local papers are a vital part of local democracy. They challenge decision makers, hold politicians and all our local institutions from schools to hospitals and the council to account, and ask all the difficult questions on its readers’ behalf. Long live local papers!
**This letter was written before the launch of the new Artisan Market had to be postponed due to dangerously high winds.
***The Editor clipped this line out as it’s probably a bit too political!