CLAIM: Stockport Market Decline?
Subsequent to a report which shows a projected decline in footfall, Stockport Liberal Democrats have been talking down Stockport Market and blaming Labour for decline.
Hazel Grove Lib Dems website stated on 6 April, 2017: “…the … LibDem administration had a plan but this Labour lot are just glad to be in charge but have no vision for Stockport.”
REALITY: Labour invests to save the Market that the Lib Dems wanted to close
A report to the Scrutiny Co-Ordination Committee did forecast market footfall shrinkage of 9% for 2016/17. That much is true.
But, wait – as usual:
- This decline in Stockport Market comes after 18 years of Lib Dem neglect of the issue which Stockport Labour is addressing.
- This neglect led to Lib Dem plans to move Stockport Market altogether.
- Lib Dem treatment of Market Traders was so poor it resulted in the resignation of both Cllr Patrick McAuley from the Liberal Democrat Executive in 2016 (now Independent) and Cllr Mags Kirkham (now Independent).
- Stockport Labour listened to market traders, abandoned plans to move the historic market, then directed over £7million of regeneration investment into the Stockport market and underbanks area, and hired a specialist market management company to work with traders to turn the market around.
The Labour-led Council are also investing over £1billion in the town centre overall with ambitious capital investment programmes which include Aurora, Redrock, Stockport Exchange and the Town Centre Access Plan.
While we hope next year’s market figures will be more positive, we will file this one under the ‘it wasn’t me’ in the infamous Lib Dem playbook.