Popular market for the chop without funding

But the council this week turned down a long-term plan request from Pure Events Marlborough for $25,000 to put on the two markets again next year.

A request by Feast Marlborough, another organisation doing food events, for $200,000 was also turned down. It started the Summer Feast series, with help from TEAM, when the wine and food festival was cancelled.

Pure Events Marlborough chief executive Katrina Lange said the CBD Market in February had more than 100 stallholders, attracting about 4000 people.

‘‘It’s a real shame, it was such a great event for the community.

‘‘It has been well-attended and well-supported. Stopping these markets will affect so many people.’’

Lange said she would look at other funding options.

‘‘There is a very high potential that the event will not go ahead, unless there is another funding source.

‘‘Fundraising takes a lot of time and there are so many deserving charities that are trying to fundraise, we just don’t want to go down that road.

‘‘We don’t want a ticketed event either, and sponsorship is a really difficult option in the current climate,’’ Lange said.

Long-term plan submissions were heard over three days at the council last week, wrapping up on Thursday. The council decided on Tuesday to turn down the requests of Pure Events Marlborough and Feast Marlborough. It was suggested the council look at creating a community events fund.

‘‘Obviously council can’t support every single event, but you have to look at the scale and the amount of benefits [of the two markets],’’ Lange said.

‘‘[CBD] Market Day and Savour are a key driver to Marlborough’s economy as well as offering quality, free events to the community.’’

At the end of Tuesday’s longterm plan deliberations, the council announced it was looking at a 5.2 per cent rates increase this year, with the final amount signed off at the next full council meeting on June 24. The new rates come into effect on July 1.