Call to scrap Tipton markets after events snubbed
Shopkeepers in a Black Country town are calling on council chiefs to consider scrapping new street markets after only a single trader turned up at the last event.
Businesses have called on Sandwell Council to rethink the scheme after only one clothing stall was set up in Princes End, Tipton, yesterday.
It comes just days after no traders turned out for a second market, in Owen Street, on Tuesday due to the freezing weather.
Sandwell Council approved both ventures last month. They are set to run weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays for the next three months. But traders are now urging the council to rethink the scheme and invest in community events in order to bring in more business.
Retailers in Princes End opposed the markets fearing they would have an impact on their businesses. David Taylor, co-owner of John the Handyman, said: “I would urge our local councillors to stop the markets and talk to the traders about organising community events.
“This would help to regenerate the area for the people of Princes End and Tipton as a whole. I want to put the ball in their court giving them the option to talk to us.”
But Nadeem Sohail, who was the single trader to set up at yesterday’s market, said he was convinced there was a strong need for such events in the town. The 40-year-old, who has been a market trader for 10 years, said: “I admit this week has been disappointing but that has been due to the weather.
“Next week everyone will be here as planned and I am certain it will bring more trade into the town for everyone. I have been told the weather has been the main reason for the lack of attendance this week.”
Mr Sohail said Walsall-based Bescot Promotions, which runs both markets, had said he would not have to pay rent for setting up at this week’s event. Spokesman for the firm Spencer Evans said: “It has been a little disappointing but we just don’t have the weather behind us at the moment.
“We are expecting traders to return next week. All we can do is keep trying to create the best markets possible and bring more business into the town.”
Councillor Ian Jones, cabinet member for neighbourhood services, said it was still very early days for the markets and the pilot scheme would continue.
“Community events would go hand-in-hand with the markets to bring more people into the town,” he said.
“When the weather picks up I think we will see more traders in the town. We have to give this scheme a chance to grow.”
Comments for: "Call to scrap Tipton markets after events snubbed"
Paul Forbes
Come on Sand well Council, sort the councillers out! Time to admit you were wrong and get behind the residents and shopkeepers and sort something out! More events like we had at Christmas instead of a bouncy castle and merry-go-round when the kids were all at school!
Stop turning our communities into a laughing stock!
Lianne
If the chap on the clothes store thought it was so good, why wasn't he there when I went to Princes End at 3 in the afternoon to do some shopping after work?
shreks left foot
They were told it wouldn't work and wasn't needed and it just shows.............Pathetic waste of public money again by people thinking they know best when in reality they don't......!!!, try living by owen st then you would see what its like and what it does need......!!!
Tipton
Don't understand why the corner shops don't want the markets it's going to bring more customers if anything
Kieron
I agree with Paul and Shrek. About time somebody stood up to the council. Good on you John the Handymans! Let's stop Sandwell Council ruining our little shopping areas and wasting all the budgets on West Brom all the time. A tatty little market just ain't gonna cut it
suziwong
I agree with Shreks left foot, there were comments on this page saying a market is not what these places need.But alas Councillar Hadley knew best, i bet she doesnt "shop" at Owen Street or Princes End.Get reall!! What is needed is more shops not a rubbish market.People go to nice places not the likes of Owen St and Princes End.These councillers need to take notice of people who go through Owen Street and Princess End.If they could make Owen Street like it used to be up until the mid 70's now that would be good, then there were every sort of shop and a Gas Showroom and the old MEB and wallpaper shops.......the list goes on,but alas it will never come back because Merry Hill appeared.
snoddy
my local councillor 3 in fact,none of which live in my vicinity, keep making ridiculous decisions on our vicinity
We Only Need One Half!
shreks left foot, Kieron, suziwong. your all wrong, there is no council money involved, its been set up by a private company, Bescot Promotions, the clue was in the article.
The reason the shop keepers want it scrapped is so they can retain the monopoly, monopoly means high prices charged, competition means low prices charged, its not rocket science, heaven forbid some one would come along and offer you a better deal, eh?
Let me tell something about Princes End, there are 3 fish and chip shops, 2 pie and cake shops, 1 pizza parlour, 1 Indian Takeaway, and 1 Chinese Takeaway, here's a good idea, why not open a fresh fruit and veg shop!!!!! there's not one in Princes End! Its a wonder people aren't dropping down with rickets! and here's the kicker, we then have to listen to people banging on about an obesity epidemic and eating 5 a day! 5 what? pizzas?
Although Bescot Promotions and who ever sanctioned it at Sandwell MBC to start now, you are not entirely blameless in this fiasco, if you were going to have an experimental period do you not thinking it may have been better to wait a few weeks till the sun was shining? this is a market in Tipton we are talking about, not a bazaar in Morocco, it is known to get rather chilly in Tipton in March, why are you acting so surprised Councillor Ian Jones? or are you not from this ward, or do you not live in it either? has I cant see how you could make such a simple mistake about the weather? then people would have got used to the idea of the markets being there week in week out, because the stall holders would have turned up (allegedly) because it was not cold, and then you would have had a true test to gauge if it was wanted or not, again its not rocket science.
All you have achieved is to give your monopoly holding opponents the argument to have it scrapped before its even got started.
Well done!
Brett
Good points. You're spot on about monopolies, as well as an abundance of fast food outlets. Places like Princes End are a disgrace, an embarrassment. It’s no wonder the wrong element is attracted towards them. My last outing to fetch (dried up and over-priced), fish and chips was just that, my last. My companion from overseas simply couldn’t believe the state of this town, as well as Owen Street. They said how unwelcoming they were, as if being human and wanting a social life in these towns was a criminal act. This is the kind of message we are sending out folks. Nobody will come here if all they're going to see is dirt, and low-quality food at rip-off prices. Will a market change that? Probably not. Neither will these councilors. But what have we got to loose?
Kieron
The councillors all said that there was no cost to the Princes End market but I don't think that's true. Conveniently, a month or so before the market was due to take place, two planters were removed to make way for the market but accourding to Joanne Hadley, supposedly to stop antisocial behaviour. Rumoured to cost about 70 grand all in with the diggers/hire of fence and what not. Funny though that 70 grand is not being spent on the car park over the road or the old railway line to stop the actual and officially reported antisocial behavour there isn't it?
Oh and I suppose the councillors time costs nothing does it?
I don't think it's about the traders wanting a monopoly, they just don't want the town being dumped on by a car boot sale. That's all the market would end up as if the councillors let it go. Like the sad excuse for a market in Oldbury. It's bad enough there as it is.
mr smug
spent a long time trading in tipton and have to say that you can arrange all the events you want... bottom line is that people don't care! Who wants to go to tipton? Merry hill is just up the road and tipton is sooo bad!
With the greatest of respect to the traders in tipton (and I was one) why come out in the cold to buy a average, over priced pair of jeans... some slightly out of date cakes, toiletries you can pick up in poundland, .... "look, some bloke with an owl...", fish and chips... etc etc. when you can go a couple of miles up the road and buy in comparative luxury.
I dont want to slate the self employed guys as they work very hard for not a lot of cash - but they're fighting a losing battle. the council don't care, the residents don't care, the local media don't care.. the only people who care are the guys selling the stuff.
Having spent a lot of tuesdays listening to prats tell me that "tipton is a market town - they'll never take to new shops" it's somewhat satisfying that these same people have now fallen out of love with their little market. I for one hope that every shop in the town closes -and then the market follows suit - then let's see the locals whinge.
use 'em or lose 'em.
Brett
Seems they're not looking at the issue realistically, as in selfishly trying to protect their interests. We all know the weather was bad so the market was a no-go, with some traders having to come quite distance. You're also dealing with places like Owen Street.. remember this, remember it is not renowned for much outside of anti-social behaviour, metal-bashing, traffic jams and boarded-up shops. It's going to take a while to adapt and hopefully bring in the required revenue. I've shopped in Owen Street long before this market venture was mentioned, and quite frankly I was appalled at some of the prices being charged for basic everyday goods. We need competition and we need the right kind of people coming into the town - if those moaning can't move with the times? Fine. But you don't have a right to spoil it for others just because you're fearful of change.
Rob
Wow lots of food shops on princess end. well they must be making money or they wouldn't open. Food shops are about the only thing on our high streets nowadays, Go from carters green to St.Michaels church on west brom high street, you would probably die if you eat one thing in each food shop.. And when the council imposed limits the "Trader" got it overturned (Bearwood?). There are too many food shops.... but until Pizza tastes like cabbage its going to continue! Great Bridge market is dead thanks to the council years ago claiming to have seld the carpark (it aint built on yet) and now they want to charge to park..... In great bridge!!! Well hear that sound? its the sound of the coffin nails going in. Dumb greedy council, Always has been always will be.
We Only Need One Half!
Rob, they must be making money, two of the chip shops close by 9pm, have made there money for the day, how many chip shops in other areas can claim that!
Interesting point you make about eating one thing in each shop along Carters Green to the High Street, when I was growing up I used to hear tales, about certain towns, Princes End being one of them, and the amount of pubs they had, and that if you had one drink in every pub from Wednesbury Oak to the top of Princes End, you would be drunk by the time you got there. No it seems the challenge is like you say, have something to eat in every food shop and try not to have had a heart attack by the time you get there!
Brett, you are right about the prices being charged, it is a slothenly tax, or in the modern parlance "convenience" store prices, convenience my ass, its for people who cant be bothered to do a proper shop, they are supposed to be thee for a bottle of milk, loaf of bread, but I have lost count the amount of times I
Harry Jones
I think people are getting a bit confused here. I don't think John the Handymans is concerned about the market in Owen Street particularly. Yes Owen Street is a ghost town and needs something doing with it cause empty shops are not good news. Princes End however has most of it's shops filled, I think there's one empty now, and traders don't want a car boot sale dumped on their doorsteps. It's not the competition they're scared of, they already compete with ASDA down the road. (Which by the say sells copious amounts of fruit and veg to respond to We Only Need One Half!) What they don't want is Sandwell Council's half-baked attempts at a market that makes people laugh and sneer at the area any more than they already do.
Yes there are lots of food outlets (most of which are privately owned) but there are also proper, decent shops as well. Like a florist, the post office, a hairdressers, a hardware shop, a shoe shop, the butcher, a beauty salon and a fishing tackle shop. Things you expect in a little precinct, for the local people who want to pop out to pick something up.
We Only Need One Half!
Don't know what happened to half my post? basically, Brett you are right, I was just about to say lost count of how many times I have seen people with shopping trolleys apparently doing a full weeks shop at these "convenience" stores, paying over extortionate prices, because they couldn't be bothered to go to a proper shopping area and saving them selves some money.