Market trader quits in row over baskets
ONE of Ashbourne’s market traders says he has packed up his stall for the last time after a row with the team of volunteers that runs the weekly market.
Rob Lockett, who has been turning up each Thursday to sell wicker goods, fell out with the Ashbourne Communities Community Interest Company (Ashcom) on Thursday after he was told to scale down the size of his stall.
He announced his departure on Thursday lunchtime, as customers returned to see non-essential stalls on Shrovetide Walk, by posting a message on a public Facebook page.
He told followers of the page he had been asked to remove his products from on and in front of the wall alongside the former Waitrose store and to bring them back to his stall on the other side of the square.
Ashcom has since told the News Telegraph this was because the baskets were encroaching on space reserved to allow for seating and social distancing.
But, in his post, which attracted more than 100 comments, he said: “I set up this morning early for a member of the market management to turn up at 9am and tell me I cannot put anything on the wall or on this side of the market - can I put it back in the van as there’s no room to put it by the van.
“So sorry to say I’m not on the market today and I’ll not bother in the future, sorry to say. Rob.”
Ashcom, which took over the market from Derbyshire Dales District Council shortly before the pandemic, has told the News Telegraph Mr Lockett’s stall was already the size of three standard pitches, and their first priority had to be the safety of traders and customers.
Chairman Jeffrey Philips said: “With the exit from lockdown progressing, Ashcom will be expanding its trader base to bring in further food products and other “non-essential” products, including welcoming back traders such as Rob, selling a wide range of baskets.
“However there is limited space and with social distancing still in force, Ashcom needs to manage pitch allocation carefully, preserving the warm and friendly atmosphere Ashcom and the traders have created.
“Unfortunately last Thursday Rob was unable to accept that.
“His normal extended pitch is with his back to the grass area and the library and that was true of Thursday.
“The previous day Ashcom’s market manager had welcomed him back, confirmed his pitch and advised him that due to social distancing measures he would need to confine himself to his pitch.
“On Thursday, she was therefore surprised to find that he had doubled the pitch space by in addition spreading his wares all along and on top of the wall on the opposite side of Shrovetide Walk.”
Mr Philips added that the wall has become a useful space for customers to gather safely and enjoy snacks and drinks from other market traders, and the current stall layout has been adjusted to allow this.
He said: “Ashcom is saddened that although the pitch allocation was again explained to Rob very politely and asked to move his wares back to his allocated pitch – he was unable to accept that and packed up and left.”
The News Telegraph has contacted Mr Lockett and invited him to make a further comment, but we have not received a response.