Posted: Sun 8th Jan 2017

‘Lack Of Information’ As People’s Market Traders Relocate Ahead of Arts Hub Development

Wrexham.com for people living in or visiting the Wrexham area
This article is old - Published: Sunday, Jan 8th, 2017

The main hall of the People’s Market may have closed to make way for the Arts Hub redevelopment – however the vast majority of its traders have relocated and remain open for business in the town centre.

As readers will know we have been after the details from Wrexham Council to allow us to signpost people the right way, but have had nothing through. On Friday we went to the market for the ‘final closure’ and spotted the double A4 signs put up that lunchtime in the doorways of the market – you can see them just about in the top picture.

Both RKM Wools and Rings ‘n’ Things have relocated to units in the ‘South Mall’ in the People’s Market, which can be accessed via the main entrance on Chester Street (the west of the Peoples Market!).

Also remaining open throughout the development in the ‘South Mall’ are:-

  • Cafe in the Corner
  • Wrexham Jewellery Repairs
  • Dexterity Ink Tattoo Studios
  • Kendricks Newsagents
  • Gemini Blinds

The carpet shop will remain in the main hall for we are told ‘a few weeks’ as their new shop is not yet ready, and can be accessed via the Market Street entrance.

Many of the traders have temporarily relocated to the Butchers’ Market:-

  • Sweet Sensations Confectionary
  • Esme’s Baby, Infant and Children’s Wear
  • Little B’s Haberdashery
  • Guardians of the Garden, Garden Ornaments
  • Antiques and Bric and Brac

Wrexham Vacs has relocated to 10a High Street (the former newsagents) which can be accessed via the High Street entrance to the Butchers’ Market.

Eagle eyed readers may have noticed that the businesses missed off as noted above have not relocated to the ‘South Mall’ or the Butchers Market have not had details of their new locations published on the list on the entrances to the People’s Market.

Below are the relocations to town centre shops which we have been made aware of – get in touch via [email protected] if you have further details.

  • Beauty Box can now be found on on Bank Street
  • The furniture stall is now trading in the former British Heart Foundation store on Queen’s Square
  • The bag stall has relocated to the Bus Station

The Country Markets, which have traded every Friday in the People’s Market for twenty years can be found Wingetts Salerooms, Holt Street, every Friday from 20 January between 9:30am and 2pm.

Piccolos Music and The Story Teller will also be based in the Oriel Gallery on Chester Street.

tWIG (The Wrexham Independent Gallery) will be holding its January Exhibition upstairs at the Wrexham Library.

Details posted about their future relocation are available on the tWIG Facebook page, which reads: “We have also been allocated a space in the Butchers’ Market, which we hope to take over in time for the beginning of February.

“This will be slightly more expensive than our current situation but the footfall will be vastly increased. We will be situated just inside the Henblas Street entrance – one of the units which are being refurbished at the moment.

“This increase in overheads will mean that we will need to make sure that we become even more efficient with the running of the gallery. The trustees will be meeting this week to look at our options.”

The Welsh shop, ‘Siop Y Siswrn’ has left both the People’s Market and Wrexham for good, with a sign in its former shop reading: “We will be closing on December 24 2016 after more than 30 years of trading at the People’s Market.

“With so many unknown factors regarding the future development of the new Arts Centre / Market, it is difficult for us to consider re-locating and continuing our presence in Wrexham.

“There will be no change to our Mold shop. We extend a warm welcome to our loyal customers from the Wrexham area and look forward to welcoming you and providing you with a warm and friendly service in Mold.”

However there is good news for the future provision of Welsh language books / CDs and Welsh gifts in Wrexham, with Saith Seren partnering up with Siop Cwlwm to provide cards, crafts, books, CDs and other Welsh items.

There has been criticism over the seemingly lack of information provided by Wrexham Council on where the traders have been relocated to.

At the time of writing the details of the new / temporary homes of the stalls are provided on the People’s Market Facebook page – with traders also sharing details online of where their new stalls are.

The People’s Market / Arts Hub development all came to a head in the Town Centre Forum in December 2016, when the meeting was told by Isobel Garner, Project Manager said the Peoples Market would be closing while work on the Arts Hub takes place

Despite the several Scrutiny Meetings over the past few years about the development, in last month’s meeting it was noted that a ‘tipping point’ with the traders had been reached and that it was ‘two years on and things have changed’.

700 word ‘facts’ offering assurance / encouragement for people to get behind the Arts Hub development was later posted by Chairman of the Town Centre Forum, Nigel Lewis, who said he has ‘it in writing from relevant council members that all permanent traders who wish to stay and trade in the new People’s Market will be offered a stall’ – and that he would be raising the issue of signage indicating where the traders have moved to with Wrexham Council before Christmas.

As we understand that the Town Centre Forum ‘representative body’ is due to the be Steering Group section, s0 we asked the Steering Group Chairman Andrew Atkinson what he thought of the subsequent signage and signposting to new trading areas and shops by Wrexham Council.

Mr Atkinson said: “It is inadequate. A lot more work needs to be done to let the public know exactly where these businesses are situated. These businesses have shown a huge vote of confidence in our town by investing money in a new shop, keeping going in a new location or staying in the People’s Market entrance way.

“Nobody uses phrases like ‘the south mall’, and the council need to be a lot more clear about where these business are staying.

“The council need to do everything in their power to support these businesses during the interim before their return to the market or to support their transition to new premises.”

Wrexham Council’s website still encourages people to ‘support your local markets’, and has opening times for the Peoples Market with no update, nor anything on their Facebook or Twitter social media pages.

 



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