The Market - to Jayne Kendall, Town Clerk

Email with her answers

Jayne,

Good to hear from you so quickly and have you back with us with all your dynamism !

Could you please answer the following specific questions ?

Encouraging good conditions for our Markets, particularly on Thursdays and Saturdays.

1. When can we see the new restrictions being put in place if everything runs through the system smoothly?


2. Could you apply your tenacity to checking and in fact encouraging  the CCC officers and relevant councillors to deliver the necessary signage ASAP ?

Hello Geoff.  The consultation on the this is taking place now, and I know the county officers were at the most recent traders meeting on Tuesday for example.
Cllr James Airey will be discussing it and bringing members up to date at this Monday’s town council meeting,  I will certainly be speaking to colleagues at the county as well to get a date.

Councillors showing an interest in a wide range of approaches to supporting the Ulverston Market.

3.Would it be possible for there to be a debate at the UTC to explore  the ways that can implemented to strengthen and encourage our market with or without the SLDC transfer ?  This could continue the work done previously by Judy Pickthall?

The challenge with the outdoor market is one of staff, i.e. there is only one part time member of staff (Ann) in Ulverston who looks after the day to day duties including collecting rent which keeps her  very busy.  Our view is that there should be an additional person who markets the market, who can review the rule book and who can make it easier for there to be new market stall holders. It is after all; a very good low cost way of market testing a new product for a new business.

We are talking to the district council collectively about the markets/car parks and coronation hall. We need to crunch the figures and put together a business case to see if any of these services can be taken on by the TC  without increasing the precept to do so, in other words, that one cross subsidises the other and that ideally we can collectively look at incentivising car parking to increase the footfall in the town centre to help everybody.   This may or may not be possible. 

4. Could you notify me when this agenda item will take place so that I can attend and share my insights from many contacts and participation with Market Stall holders over the past six months?
Unless members instruct me otherwise, I don’t anticipate an agenda item on the subject of the market alone, rather a detailed looked at the business case for one or more of SLDC’s services. The members have previously proposed the changes in the TRO and feel it will benefit the market.   When it does go through we need to ensure that it is ‘policed’ by the traffic wardens etc to make sure that it is enforced so it works properly.

5. Is there a group of particular Councillors that has taken this issue under their remit on the UTC ?

There is a group of councillors working with me on the business case.

I would welcome your thoughts on the market operation Geoff  as we go  forward with the business case

Thanks for your time.

It's great to know that we have someone now working full time as a Town Clerk. Someone who has achieved so much in the past.

Geoff Dellow