Changing Negative Perceptions Of Wrexham
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Walking into,the Butchers Market from High Street this morning I was shocked to see the number of empty stalls . The cafe on the High Street entrance is empty , the right hand stall on the entrance to the market is empty and four island stalls immediately as you enter are empty plus some of the perimeters stalls. Some of the remaining businesses have been trading for generations in that market and deserve real support from the Council. Something needs to be done urgently now by the landlords the Council. Lower the rents, encourage day traders, have themed days, treat enquiries seriously and give all the help you can. The Chief Executive has spent a day with many different workers in the County Borough, I am sure a day spent in the Butchers Market would be appreciated by those still trying to make a living there and be of mutual benefit. The hope is that there will be funding of £1.2 million for developing the markets but that is in the future, there needs to be some drastic action now to halt the decline.
I think it’s very sad to see the markets now. They used to be thriving but have been in decline lately. Surely it’s better to have a full market with reduced rents than am empty one with high rents. Come on Wrexham Council use the old grey cells.
@wrexview 7760 wrote:
Walking into,the Butchers Market from High Street this morning I was shocked to see the number of empty stalls . The cafe on the High Street entrance is empty , the right hand stall on the entrance to the market is empty and four island stalls immediately as you enter are empty plus some of the perimeters stalls. Some of the remaining businesses have been trading for generations in that market and deserve real support from the Council. Something needs to be done urgently now by the landlords the Council. Lower the rents, encourage day traders, have themed days, treat enquiries seriously and give all the help you can. The Chief Executive has spent a day with many different workers in the County Borough, I am sure a day spent in the Butchers Market would be appreciated by those still trying to make a living there and be of mutual benefit. The hope is that there will be funding of £1.2 million for developing the markets but that is in the future, there needs to be some drastic action now to halt the decline.
Quite right and well said
I was trading until recently in the South Arcade of the People’s Market and traded there from September 2009 until May 2013. I had traded in the People’s Market for 3 years prior to this (nearly 7 years in total). When I left the South Arcade, there were 2other shops still trading from this Arcade (from 8).
During the time I was there shops came and went, usually on ‘starter’ rents that were reduced to allow a business to build up and for early day investments to be made. Unfortunately, there was a sting in the tail and rents soon increased to a formula that the Market’s Estates Departments operate. Incoming businesses have to pay Bond monies if they uptake a unit and this means handing over the equivalent of a month’s rent as well the month’s rent. This will be returned somewhere down the line if the tenant leaves (subject to leaving the unit in good repair).
I left the People’s Market at a time when I was trying to take on board more capacity. Trying to be clever, I offered to take the empty unit opposite mine in return for a downward adjustment of my own rent and a reasonable offer on the additional capacity. Additionally, having been a good tenant for several years with a good credit history, I sought to free up the Bond that the Council had (to improve my investment funds). I believed that I made a fair and reasonable offer and the figure that would have been received was more than I am now paying for a bigger unit in Bank Street and it would have been a higher figure than those shops which had pulled out of the South Arcade had actually been paying.
My negotiations unfortunately went down in flames with no positive response (though in fairness to the very dynamic Peter Scott, he did try to resurrect a negotiation after I had signed up elsewhere).
So, when you read about campaigns to attract traders, please do so with a mixture of bewilderment and scepticism. Traders aplenty have passed through the corridors of all the Markets. Between an embarrassing lack of good management, silly silly rents and so many other negatives which I won’t bore you with, be suspicious.
The Council is showing a will to act and there are plenty of good people in the authority. There are many hard working decent traders who try their best. Unfortunately, whatever goodwill there is, and whatever hard work is undertaken……there is a systemic malaise in that area of Wrexham Council’s undertakings that has led to the drip drip death of Wrexham’s great heritage…..its’ Markets
Wrexham is lacking in social events (that don’t involve drinking !) for the over 55’s…Every evening activity is geared up for young people…Or the dead heads sitting all day in Wetherspoons….We have Youth Clubs…So how about Seniors Clubs…Or is socialising when you’re over 55 not allowed ?????
Alunh I hope the Chief Executive reads you post along with the Leader of the Council and Councillors, they are the people with the real power to alter things. Officers only carry out their instructions. The situation maybe critical but not fatal yet but urgent action is required now!
The Chief Executive of the Council gives the Manager of the Markets the responsibility,but not the necessary AUTHORITY to carry out the tasks of putting the Markets on a better footing.The Markets bring good money into the Council coffers yet there is no re investment back into the Markets.
I have spoken to Neil and I find him personally seemingly committed to the future of the Markets. Funnily enough, this is the vibe that you get off each Council Officer that you meet. Most are charming and talk the talk.
Talking the talk and walking the walk are two very different animals. My father was a Sales Rep for Unilever in North Wales. He kept extra stores of animal food for his customers in case they ran out over Christmas. On Christmas Day, he might be out making emergency deliveries before he returned to make the kids in the house their holly and ivy Christmas decorations. My dad was no great talker but he could walk the walk.
One of my better experiences in business was working with David Cole (formerly MD of Rowlands) who was a business partner. He could do both as well.
Unfortunately, the Market is sleepwalking its way into destruction, run by people who either lack the vision or lack the oomph to turn it round. Words, and more words spew out but……..with apologies to Gary Hart and Walter Mondale……………..where is the beef?
@wrexview 7775 wrote:
Alunh I hope the Chief Executive reads you post along with the Leader of the Council and Councillors, they are the people with the real power to alter things. Officers only carry out their instructions. The situation maybe critical but not fatal yet but urgent action is required now!
It is a nice thought that someone might. The hours that I have spent sending in constructive suggestions to the Council about sensible changes in the Market, however, suggests that this might be unlikely. This is not to say that things haven’t occurred but not enough and not with coherence. In fairness Peter Scott has the ideas but I think that this matter will boil down to more than a few isolated individuals in combat with the machine.
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