Western Daily Press (Saturday)
‘Saturday market traders have been left out in cold’
THE cancellation of regular Saturday markets in one of the West’s traditional market towns is “forcing people into supermarkets” to do their shopping, according to a trader.
Mendip District Council took the decision to temporarily cancel the markets held every Saturday in Frome in Somerset amid the coronavirus pandemic, as well as the same offering in Wells.
Regular weekday markets in these areas, as well as other towns across Mendip, have been allowed to continue with only traders selling food and essential items continuing to operate. However, traders who rely on the Saturday markets for their living have been left out in the cold, according to Daniel Price.
The Saturday markets, particularly in Frome, used to draw large crowds of shoppers.
Mr Price runs Dan’s Somerset Deli in Bridgwater and is a regular stallholder at the Frome markets.
He said that not only were traders being denied the opportunity to earn a living, but that the removal of the possibility for people to shop out of doors meant people were being “forced into supermarkets” when they may not want to use them for health reasons.
He said: “First of all, we’re in the thick of a fight as we have to make sure at the end of the pandemic that we can keep a roof over our heads. We are definitely concerned about our own livelihoods, but we also are concerned that Mendip District Council is damaging public services.
“It is forcing people into supermarkets to do their shopping and frankly people don’t want to go into supermarkets right now, so why should they be forced to?
“The markets are part of the fabric of Frome – it is by definition a market town. At the end of the day, people need to eat, this is a food market that during lockdown has previously operated safely using only essential traders. But it’s more than that, in a way it’s a sort of mental health salvation – people can be outdoors, which they can’t do much at the moment, and while they wait they might see someone or say a hello to a face they’ve not seen in a while.
“The majority of people want the market back up and running – we won’t be victims and Frome will not roll over.”
A petition has been set up appealing to the council to rethink its decision, saying that it “puts more financial strain on local traders who are already struggling to stay afloat”, as well as asking for the traders to be included in the decision-making process.
Mendip District Council has responded to the claims surrounding the cancellation, stating that is only a temporary closure which will be reviewed in early February.
The council also clarified that consultation with market traders was only something that the council was required to do in the event of a permanent change being suggested, and that in this instance it had been seen as a decision that had to be made by the council.
The statement said: “Due to the outdoor nature of the venues, Mendip District Council is delighted to be able to offer daily markets at Glastonbury, Wells, Frome, Street and Shepton Mallet.
“We have fully supported our stallholders throughout the pandemic, providing free rents to hard-pressed traders, parking offers to encourage footfall, and installing social distancing measures to ensure markets operate safely for both retailers and residents.
“We are in constant dialogue with our stallholders through our Markets Officers. The reduction of Saturday slots in Wells and Frome is a temporary move and will be reviewed in early February. Formal consultation with market traders is only required if a permanent change is proposed, which is certainly not the case here.”