Some traders who have been moved to a car park have threatened to QUIT Northampton’s market.
Chronicle and Echo went down to chat to market traders at Commercial Street car park on Wednesday (February 15) to see how they are getting on.
They have been temporarily moved off the historic Market Square while West Northamptonshire Council completes £8.4million refurbishment works to the site.
They have been moved on to the council-owned Commercial Street car park and will be there for the next 18 months before returning to the refurbished Market Square.
Many traders are deflated by the move and say footfall has not been good and are appealing for the public to support them, however others are optimistic that footfall will pick up.
WNC councillor Daniel Lister, in charge of the Market Square project, previously said: “We are doing all we can for traders to ensure they’re able to thrive at this new location, and we hope they’ll join us in trying to make the temporary move a success.
“We also hope communities will continue to support them and we’re confident that they’ll win many new customers in this highly visible location.”
The late Eamonn ‘Fitzy’ Fitzpatrick, a market trader for 60 years, called Commercial Street car park ‘death row’.
Take a look through our gallery to see what market traders are saying about their first two weeks at Commercial Street car park.
5. Market traders speak out
Carl Wood has been working as a fruit and vegetable vendor since he was a schoolboy. He has recently been made redundant due to the low level of trade at the site. He said: "Since the council has moved it down here it's been a waste of time. That's why my boss has quit. We were losing more than £1,000 a day. It wasn't paying. I'm heartbroken." Photo: Logan MacLeod
6. Market traders speak out
Fruit and vegetable vendor Dave Dunkley said: "We're not getting on very well. We haven't really got a positive word we can say about it. We're not getting the public down here to support us, we don't know why but we think it's too far out for the older generation. It's a shame, really. We desperately need support from the general public else we'll be folding. There's no Plan B. If this folds then it will be the end of Northampton Market. I think as soon as we go the other traders will follow. We've got to be getting 60 percent less footfall down here, easily. I'm gutted. We had a good business. We had a chance of making money on the Market Square. If we don't get the footfall down here we won't be going back to the market in 18 months. Not a cat in hell's chance. It's very, very sad. My boss has been here over 30 years and we've never known times like these. Not even in the harshest winters has it been this bad. Those big wigs at the council need to come down here and see what they've done. They've destroyed the market." Photo: Logan MacLeod
7. Market traders speak out
This Funkys Noodles worker said it has been a "bit rubbish" in the first two weeks since opening but is "hoping" trade picks up. Photo: Logan MacLeod
8. Market traders speak out
This trader at Ciro’s Place is unhappy with the footfall but hangs on to hope that footfall will pick up. Photo: Logan MacLeod