‘I’ve never seen our market this empty’
Fears for future of Bridgend’s historic Indoor Market Another much-loved stall closed on Saturday:
STALLHOLDERS have voiced fears over the future of Bridgend’s historic market as one of its best-loved businesses has become the latest in a series to quit.
Preddy’s sweet stall – which has served pick and mix to generations of town youngsters – closed for the final time on Saturday because it was losing money.
Its loss has left another gaping hole in the market, where one trader said shocked customers have started asking him if it’s closing down.
Another trader said at least one stall has been vacant for two years.
Adam Preddy, whose nan Marion Preddy, 77, ran the sweet stall for the last seven years of its life, said she was “absolutely gutted and heartbroken” at its closure.
Butcher Tim Wood – who runs the longeststanding business with his father Peter and is chairman of the market traders’ forum – said the hall, which first opened in its previous home in 1906, is now one third empty.
He said it’s the emptiest it’s been since it moved into its current location around 1970.
“There used to be a waiting list (for traders) to come here,” he said.
“I have never seen it a third empty.
“This is reality. It’s what’s here on the ground. It’s what I am putting in the till. It’s not what they [the council] think it is.
“The market really needs the support of the people of Bridgend to survive.”
But Bridgend council, which leases the space for the market from The Rhiw Shopping Centre, said that the market is 78% occupied.
A spokesman said that out of 36 stalls, 28 are occupied. And, of the nine vacant stalls, he said there are currently offers in on three of them.
Market traders have called on the council to take urgent action to decrease rents, which they claim are the highest of any indoor market in Wales, to undertake better and more innovative marketing of empty units and to provide new customer toilets, after the previous external block closed due to council budget cuts.
They want one of the closed stalls to be transformed into two loos with full disabled access and baby changing facilities.
The council said adding a toilet would increase running costs, which “would have to be reflected in the stall rents” and it has “no current plans to do this”.
A spokesman also said: “Unlike the majority of other markets in Wales, Bridgend Indoor Market is privately owned and does not belong to the local council. In order to provide it, the council has to pay rent and service charges to a landlord, but has not increased stall holder rents in line with the retail price index for the last three years at least.”
Anne Binding, who runs home-made cake stall Bakestones, said: “We have at least half a dozen people a day asking if there’s a toilet. We have children crying and the nearest toilet is in the bus station. I’m ashamed to tell people when they come in.”
With the bus station loos or the only other council-run public toilets at the other end of town in Cheapside at least a five minute walk away for the able bodied and those without medical problems, traders believe the lack of toilets is one of the key issues which is putting customers off.
They also claimed the loss of the old Rhiw car park and the pedestrian bridge, which connected the market and car park, decreased footfall, which they claim has not recovered since the replacement Rhiw car park opened in November.
Anne said they no longer see those customers who use the Shopmobility scheme as it was moved from the Rhiw to the Brackla Street car park at the top of town and they now shop in Asda, Aldi or Iceland, which are near that car park.
“When I first came here about seven years ago we waited two years for a stall, but now you can’t give them away. It’s a nice little town and it’s going to waste,” said Anne.
She also criticised the rent charges, saying she pays £150 a week for her unit which she claims would cost £100 in Cardiff Market.
Mr Preddy said his nan’s stall “was doing relatively well until the council took down the car park and walkway going into the market and then the takings dropped by a third”.
“There’s only so long a business can sustain it. She was paying out what came in and there was other stuff she was paying
out of her own money.”
He added: “My nan was not planning on retiring. She is absolutely gutted and heartbroken.”
He claims he tried to agree with the council to downsize the sweet stall into a smaller unit near the access from the Rhiw Hill. But they were only offered a “tiny” stall which was, he said, unsuitable.
He further claimed the market manager told them people run stalls as a hobby generally as they have their pensions to fall back on. He said this is a worrying statement as it is completely inaccurate as people make their living from the stalls.
But Bridgend council said: “We dispute this en- tirely. Some existing stall holders, such as Peter Wood and Sons Butchers, have been at the market for more than 40 years and have made a great success of their business, while established businesses such as Celtic Cameras and Regal Travel have opted to move into the market. The council has also gone on record as saying that markets are a great way to test-run a business before moving to larger premises in the way that Fizzy Foam or Tudor Morris Butchers have done.
“We suggested to Mr Preddy that if he wished to take on the tenancy of the sweet stall, he may want to look at whether it needed as much space as it pre- viously used. Ultimately, we have to work with whatever stalls are available at that time.”
Alastair Rosenberg, of The Rug Stall, said Bridgend Market has “the most expensive rent in Wales”.
He added: “But because the council have got a fixed lease it’s what they are stuck with.
“They market Bridgend as a market town. But people have been asking us if they are closing the market down. They can see it’s so empty.”
Among the traders’ ideas for filling empty stalls are offering them cheaply to art societies or students from Bridgend College, so they could display their work, or offering them to young entrepreneurs at the college to test out a business idea.
Traders also said that as there is no longer a full time market manager it means that they often hear from people who tell them they would like to open stalls and have contacted the council but fail to receive replies to emails. They also said that when someone applies for a stall it can take “months and months” before they can open.
The council spokesman said: “The market is man- aged through the council’s property team. Calls are actioned in a timely manner and the council aims to make it as easy as possible for someone to occupy a stall.
“The council would be interested in seeing further evidence about people waiting for ‘months and months’ to get a stall as we do not believe that this is the case. In our experience, the only delays occur when trying to obtain trade and bank references as part of the letting process.
“The council would be happy to discuss any ideas the stallholders may have. We already hold events within the indoor market itself – these have ranged from activities linked to Halloween, summer and Roald Dahl celebrations to community interaction events and stalls from the likes of South Wales Police.
“The council does a number of things to fill vacant stalls and attract fresh businesses. The £27 offer has drawn a mixed response from existing traders – some believe it should be free while others have told us that they think the price is already too low – but it is reflective of current rents and outgoings.”