Exclusive: Almost a year after moving the Wilmslow Artisan Market to a Sunday plans are underway to return the monthly event to a Saturday.
Cheshire East Council, Wilmslow Town Council and Denise Valente, the owner of the market, are proposing to pilot a return of the Artisan Market to a Saturday but re-site it to the Alderley Road service road. The first Saturday market is proposed for 18th October.
There has been much debate around the day and location of the market for a couple of years, then in August last year a large number of retailers called for the market to be switched to a Sunday as it was having a detrimental effect on sales on their busiest day of the week.
As a result, Wilmslow Town Council commissioned an independent research company, at a cost of approximately £3000, to assess the impact of the Wilmslow Artisan Market and, having considered the results, it was decided that future Artisan Markets in Wilmslow will be held on a Sunday. The first Sunday Artisan Market was held in November 2013.
Since the move, the performance of the market has been monitored and it has proved much less attractive to both residents and visitors, as well as some businesses that opened especially for market Sundays.
Denise Valente explained "The dilemma now facing us is how to maintain a vibrant market, which, without doubt, attracts significant additional footfall into the town, whilst avoiding detriment to existing businesses whose contribution is vital to the prosperity of Wilmslow."
As we approach the anniversary of the move to a Sunday both councils and Denise have taken stock of the impact on footfall and businesses during this time and following discussions with a number of retailers, including Hoopers and Sainsbury's, they have decided on this pilot scheme.
Stalls will be confined to the service road, stretching from Sainsbury's to Multiyork.
Denise added "In this proposal utmost sensitivity has been placed on the positioning and design of the new layout, ensuring access and visibility to all of the retail units adjacent to the site. The stalls will be confined to the service road; they will trade to both sides, and will not encroach on the pavement. We have also positioned the street food stalls away from shop fronts to prevent aromas from entering shop premises.
"I am confident that these measures will create an atmospheric, pleasant environment for the market and the retailers in close proximity.
"I am also very excited about the prospect of delivering this event back on Saturday as per the wishes of so many townsfolk. I do hope the people of Wilmslow and our visitors will come along and support the event and help restore it to its former glory."
Local councillor Rod Menlove said "The organiser of the Artisan Market is rightly canvassing the views of local businesses to ensure that the permanent retailers are comfortable with a return to a Saturday market initially as a pilot.
"I very much welcome this initiative and hope that the overall response is positive with high support for this pilot as a viable way forward. The market has made a considerable contribution to the vibrancy of Wilmslow and during my own visit this Sunday it was clear that it was well attended.
"The market was originally established as a device to bring additional shoppers to Wilmslow as it clearly did. The principle retailers along the Alderley Road slip road have encouraged this change that they judge will again benefit business in Wilmslow."
People are invited to email Denise Valente and Diane Smith, Town Centre Manager, with their views on the proposed move by Wednesday 24th September.
What do you think about the market moving back to a Saturday? Share your views via the comment box below.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
2. Get the council involved.
3. Watch it wither and die as 'compromises' are made to appease failing existing business's who blame the market for their own failings.
4. Tuck it out of the way in a cramped new location whilst decreasing the few free car parking spaces found in the town centre.
5. Genius.
It was 'bonkers' to move it to a Sunday in the first place. Anyway, it's back so let's get behind the market and let's look agead. It'll be great to see Wilmslow bouncing and buzzing with families, couples and out of town visitors out and about on retail day!
Now that it's back on 'Super Saturday', we're excited as a business and as residents of Wilmslow.
Some out-of-town landlords seem to still think this the Knightsbridge-of-the-North of the mid-'80s.
Great news for all!!!
Please do something with #stoke and #staffordshire :)
http://bit.ly/1DwMzva
concerning the increasing number of empty shops and the strangulation of the Artisan Market due to the forced-move to Sunday operation. Many sensible local residents responded, including this pearl of wisdom from myself:
"Surely the sensible place to hold the market is on the "service road" which runs in front of Sainsbury's, Finnigan's(!) and the Rex buildings? This road does not actually service anything, it does not get you to anywhere that cannot be reached by other routes and it is merely a free short-stay car park. A German Christmas market was held there for a couple of years and seemed to work well, with the proviso that reserved nearby parking must be provided for the trader's vans. Utilising this road on one Saturday a month (or even weekly?) would not inconvenience those other than those drivers of 4x4s who seem unable to walk more than 30 feet."
Now; that cost less than the £3k of our money wasted by WTC, didn't it? Thank good ness common sense has prevailed.
After it has moved back to Saturday the next step should be to:
- Move if back to Grove Street
- Ignore any moaning shop keepers
- Refuse any "help" from WTC
That way the market will be a success for years up come.
Ps can we also have our £3,000 back or at least a recognition from WTC to now steer clear of things they know nothing about ie business.
These are the people that kept the market going in tough times
They now deserve real support
Now we are on the verge of getting back to how it was
Can't wait :)
Last Sunday we were driving home and decided to park in Wilmslow rather than take the car home and walk to the market. What a fiasco! It would have been quicker to go home and walk to the market. The car parks were very busy and this was a Sunday when some of the shops are closed. I can’t imagine how busy the car parks are going to be on Saturday Market days when the service road is closed and there is no short stay free parking.
Also I think the change of location will upset the businesses on Grove St who have their busiest days on Market day. Maybe WTC could spend another £3,000 compensating them.
Keep the market in Grove St and Bank Square, reduce Grove St to single row of stalls, alternate facing, to increase the pedestrian space on both sides, keep the street food stalls, tables and entertainment at Sparrow Pit and use the service road for displaced Grove St stalls and perhaps a few new ones. Allow free public parking in Spring St (Water La) multi-storey on Market Day only, to compensate for closure of the service road. Re-instate the 4-6 Blue Badge spaces on Grove Ave, currently occupied by market stalls. Market shoppers would then also traverse much of Water La and Alderley Rd, as well as Grove St.
There are some mis-informed contributors. CEC is the licensing Authority for markets and responsible for Highways and Planning, WTC has only an advisory role. As such, WTC paid £3K for the prof. market research, to accurately obtain all Wilmslow retailers' opinion of the effect of the Market on their business', not the decision-making CEC.
Any complaints should be directed at the 4 CEC Cllrs that represent Wilmslow.
(£3K is less than WTC spend on the Picnic in the Park or the Xmas Lights switch on event each year).
All the people involved in the market are in it for profit not necessarily for the benefit of Wilmslow.
The stalls cost £40 each and the market owner funds the tables etc and marketing. Do your own sums.
How presumptuous of stall holders, who are mainly not from Wilmslow, to tell us where and on what day to have our market - often in quite offensive terms.
Why should a taxpayer funded public highway be made available to a private business free of charge and take over 30 plus free parking spaces that are for the use of shoppers using businesses that contribute to local employment and to the local and national economy almost every day of every month. This was just about acceptable when on Grove Street but why should a road be closed?
I understand that South Drive is to be closed for "safety reasons". Green Lane with disabled parkers, buses and traffic was not closed.
I suspect that the number of people who cannot come to the market on a Saturday for various reasons (work, school sports etc.) far outnumber those who cannot make it on a Sunday. Maybe those who cannot come on a Sunday have far more time to tell us about it!
Who was behind the idea of a market on 20th December???
As can be seen, opinions are varied which is to be expected when it concerns something that impacts on so many different aspects of our community and so many people.
Firstly I would like to say thank you for the overwhelmingly positive reaction we have had from this proposed move back to a Saturday (both above and in the many emails that I have received), and my hopes are that it will encourage far more people to venture back into our wonderful town and partake in all it has to offer, not only the Artisan Market but the shops, cafés, pubs and restaurants too.
There does however appear to be some apprehension about the proposed new location and some misunderstandings which I hope to explain:
In consultation with CEC and WTC it was recommended that an alternative to Grove Street was sought, as some retail businesses on Grove Street believed this was not the best location, and after consultation with businesses on Alderley Road, the service road was suggested.
The service road will provide a much larger area for freedom of movement for the public amongst the stalls, wheelchair access will be much easier and it will offer the opportunity of attracting people to another important retail area of the town centre.
We will lose some on street parking but the additional footfall will hopefully outweigh this downside from the retailer’s perspective.
We are working with local Monday - Friday office based businesses to see if their car parking facilities can be utilized at weekends, not only on market day but every weekend. Which we hope will more than offset these unavailable spaces and also work in the interests of the town retailers on other weekends especially on the run up to Christmas.
The Market Co is a local Wilmslow family business, currently employing 6 part time Wilmslow resident staff.
Our market traders are sourced from across the region to ensure the very best diverse offer, with over 65% from within a 10 mile radius of Wilmslow, many Wilmslow based businesses themselves.
The market has also acted as a stepping stone for new businesses, over the last 3 years 17 market traders have now taken retail premises, 2 of which are in Wilmslow.
The Market Co pays event license fees, road closure license fees, traffic management costs and service fees to run the market on CEC land, charges are listed on CEC website.
As I said to begin with ‘it is very hard to please everyone all of the time’ – I hope these proposed plans show that we have listened to recommendations and requests and acted as best we can to ensure that what we deliver is in the best interests of the majority.
I look forward to Saturday 18th October to see Wilmslow buzzing with life, a vibrant, atmospheric town with so much to offer.
On behalf of market traders I would like to correct you on some points
Firstly my apologies for "being in it for the money "
I'm afraid I do have to make a living and this is my job !
I pay tax and insurance and I provide a very good product !
The market was perfectly happy on a sat in grove street until the actions of one shop caused us to move to a Sunday
That move has cost the market traders 1000's of £
The fact the market has survived in the downturn is testament to how passionate professional and determined we are and without that wilmslow would not have a market
The move and the road closures are costing a fortune !
Denise is hardly covering costs from this and to suggest she is just profiteering is just rude
Do you think all those gazebos and associated infrastructure are free ??
What the council charge for the road closure is scandalous when they should be helping getting this market back on its feet
The attendance figures for sat over sun was huge proving beyond doubt wilmslow wants a Saturday market
I would also like to add as a result of this market originally I have opened a high street outlet employing 3 people
Granted it's not in wilmslow but it does contribute to the national economy
Finally the shops on grove street may suffer as we move away but
let's not forget it was the actions of one person who started all of this
Well wilmslow Saturday artisan is back and it's going to be brilliant !!!
All retailers, either fixed or market, are in business to make a profit, often in a competitive environment. Bricks & motar (fixed) retailers have opportunity to trade 6/7 days / wk, at broadly similar fixed overheads (rent & rates).
Markets are subject to conditions imposed by the licensing Authority (CEC).
In this latest 'pilot', the complete change in venue, may protect the turnover of some Grove St outlets for 12 days/yr to the detriment of most,
As a result of the location day/location change, CEC hope the Wilmslow Artisan Market will 'wither on the vine', a solution not achieved by simple change to current Sun location.
Since inception, Wilmslow Artisan Market has been held on 3rd Sat or Sun of month. 20th Dec is the 3rd Sat of month of the new pilot.
Perhaps CEC should pay for a more comprehensive, ind market research survey of new pilot?
What a waste of time, money and energy bowing to those few traders who objected to the market on a Saturday! I am sure that, had they have benefitted from extra trade, they would have never objected. Perhaps those who objected originally should be made to repay the funds wasted on holding a consultative processes!!!
If you can find me a shop within five miles that can be run on £40 (including advertising) a day you will have a queue from here to Portsmouth!!!
Who is the accused "shop"?