Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Leader hits back after attack on Christmas market
THE leader of Bath’s council has responded to criticism of its Christmas market, saying it brings in £50 million a year and that feedback has been “overwhelmingly positive”.
The market came under fire from a local trader who expressed her disappointment and frustration with the event.
Annette Dolan, the managing director of Bath Aqua Glass, has called for a meeting with the council to restore the “magic” of the market and prioritise local businesses. She said that the market, which ran from November 23 to December 10, was criticised in national and local media, social media, and by her regular customers.
Cllr Kevin Guy, council leader, said: “This year, around 75 per cent of our stallholders and caterers were based in the South West with over half of these having a BA postcode.
“Bath Christmas Market benefits local businesses that do not have a permanent presence in the city and we are also helping their growth in the longer term by supporting those considering taking up shop lets.
“When selecting stallholders we take into account the current retail, food and beverage locations in the city so that traders are not in close competition with each other.
“Bath Christmas Market boosts Bath’s local economy by around £50 million a year and in 2022 attracted almost 450,000 visitors from all over the UK and beyond - a significant number of whom return outside the market period.
“Many of our visitors comment positively on the selection of stalls, including being able to find unique and interesting gifts that you don’t find in Bath all year round. Feedback from traders for 2023 has been overwhelmingly positive with some reporting that it was their most successful market so far.
“We thank Annette for her feedback and are happy to meet with her to explore this further, as we are keen to develop the 2024 Christmas market based on all of the positive and constructive feedback we received.”