Market makes high street buzz

Following on from last week’s article [‘Market traders fear £1m high street makeover a done deal’], the council wish to spend £1 million pounds on re-paving St Georges Place, chopping down trees and changing the use of the space.

Although, we recognise the need to smarten up the high street, many of us are opposed to fact that they want to make it harder for market / street traders to set up on this spot and put up the prices for pitches.

I believe it is the market stalls that create the atmosphere and buzz there and without them it is just an average high street like you see up and down the country. The market traders, stalls and pop-up shops create another point of interest to the city of Canterbury. They encourage visitors and repeat trade. There is already a multitude of outlet parks which have free parking. Talking to some of the traders, they say that many people will lose their livelihoods if they were no longer able to trade here selling goods that people actually want and need.

The consultation at the moment suggests that they may want to use the space for outdoor events and special-themed markets. My opinion is that the re-paving of the area will not do much to improve the ‘worn out’ look that is suggested will do. I would say that rendering the 60/70s brickwork on the buildings above the shops would do more to smarten up the street. However, with so many businesses hit by the pandemic, new paving isn’t going to disguise the lack of empty shops. What is needed is revitalisation of the retail business, lower business rates and affordable rents with incentives for startups such community business hubs, working co-operatives, and investing in our local economy and people.

There is a petition that can be signed if you go to the market on Wednesday and Friday.

We need to keep our markets. Cllr Mel Dawkins (Lab) St Stephen’s Ward

■ We are still in the pandemic and many people have been hit financially, so the current “waiting list” of 2,000 homeless is likely to increase.

The St George’s Street ‘refurbishment’ is quoted as costing £1 million, but if you also add ‘elocating the market stalls’, as promised by the Tories, then the cost would be far higher.

So if you asked local residents if this is a good use of scarce finance, I think most would say ‘NO!’

In contrast, a sensible Labour Councillor suggests using the Rosemary Lane site for social housing [“Council to sell off car park”, May 13] to reduce the waiting list.

As the Canterbury Climate Action Conference on February 28 showed, councils can afford to build passive social houses, which keep tenants healthy and reduce their costs, so that they can buy food and pay rents to the council.

A compassionate council would jump at the opportunity – but not our council? Chris Lowe Hackington Road, Tyler Hill