People’s Market the Arts Hub.
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Posts
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This is a real inside job and it stinks. The Market on which the rest of the Markets depend is to be sacrificed or terminally compromised because the Arts Hub scheme is now the train on the tracks and can’t seemingly be stopped. It is a con job and judging by the words used by the various Councillors who commented last night, no one knows who is behind this scam.
I find the words attributed to Councillor Skelland the most disturbing because it would genuinely appear that the Iron Law of Oligarchy is genuinely true. Against all common sense and reason an agenda driven individual or group has shafted everyone in their way. Sad
[quote quote=104292]This is a real inside job and it stinks. The Market on which the rest of the Markets depend is to be sacrificed or terminally compromised because the Arts Hub scheme is now the train on the tracks and can’t seemingly be stopped. It is a con job and judging by the words used by the various Councillors who commented last night, no one knows who is behind this scam.
I find the words attributed to Councillor Skelland the most disturbing because it would genuinely appear that the Iron Law of Oligarchy is genuinely true. Against all common sense and reason an agenda driven individual or group has shafted everyone in their way. Sad
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Pretty much sums up my thoughts.
The most interesting revelation for me has been the well developed concept (including 3D model) to overhaul the old Oriel site.
https://www.wrexham.com/news/plan-for-new-arts-hub-and-market-space-revealed-104040.html
That would have been a superb improvement which would have brought much needed life to the library and Llwyn Isaf itself.
Does anyone know how such a developed concept was canned? My understanding was that officers conducted a study which concluded that the peoples market was the optimum location for an arts hub. If so, why spend money on architect fees on a less suitable option?
Or perhaps much of this is driven by a closed door agreement that the police station should go on the Oriel site?
Have the council, once again, snatched defeat from the jaws of victory..?
Tautology gone mad Adam. Illogically, WCBC have taken 2 logical instincts and drawn a hopelessly wrong conclusion. The logical instincts are to enhance the Arts and salvage the Markets. The illogical net conclusion is to lump these 2 things together in one building, the Peoples Market. The logical road was to “market” the Arts by identifying its user base and locating it logically (by the University, Library and Museum as well as accessible to tourists) whilst doing similar with the Peoples Market.
The latter is quite a simple one and merely needs a complete reconfiguration of the Markets, the identity of the specific Markets and a complete overhaul of the Management structure thereof. Small towns need a Market base, as the Manchester Met Report strongly argues, and they can be major footflow drivers. Bad Markets, of course, do not. Rather than pursue the logical, it is the prospect of “free” money that has drawn a haze over a group of people who should know better
Looking at the figures for the Markets that were put before Scrutiny on Wednesday. I am amazed at the decline, especially in the Peoples Market. WCBC could have done a lot better by, handing over the running of the markets to the Town Centre Forum. The ideas coming from the Town Centre Forum for the rest of the town seem to produce results.
Wonder who is paying for the lighting in the People’s Market car park, closed again today as it is Sunday but the lights are on, not needed for security even in daylight!
[quote quote=104379]Looking at the figures for the Markets that were put before Scrutiny on Wednesday. I am amazed at the decline, especially in the Peoples Market. WCBC could have done a lot better by, handing over the running of the markets to the Town Centre Forum. The ideas coming from the Town Centre Forum for the rest of the town seem to produce results.
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That’s because the team surrounding Nigel Lewis are enthusiastic and business savvy. A good example of the very responsive approach was when one or two traders expressed some concern about the competition that their businesses were facing from the street fairs. Instant response. Running any sort of Business, Market or otherwise, is not rocket science but it does take well understood steps being undertaken
[quote quote=104379]Looking at the figures for the Markets that were put before Scrutiny on Wednesday. I am amazed at the decline, especially in the Peoples Market. WCBC could have done a lot better by, handing over the running of the markets to the Town Centre Forum. The ideas coming from the Town Centre Forum for the rest of the town seem to produce results.
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As you of all people know Jim figures can be produced to make a case for anything…..and that appears to be the case here. What I find quite bizarre is that WCBC might project forward a scenario where grant or lottery funding might be factored into the on-going picture and that a nipple derived forecast becomes the basis of the development of the Market area……even though this dependency might leave the whole centre exposed to collapse if genuine austerity bites in. This leap in the dark is not one that I would go for whatsoever. Far better to develop something that is sustainable and funded by genuine rent paying funding sources
It is becoming time that businesses and others that are not happy with the decision making process within the Council should be prepared to formally challenge what is gong on.
Many businesses have absolutely nothing to lose by making a challenge.
A Judicial Review of the actions of the Council under the irrationality/proportionality element of the legislation would have a really good chance of succeeding.
http://www.compactvoice.org.uk/sites/default/files/compact_judicial_review_briefing.pdfAt the Scrutiny meeting on Wednesday both Cllr.Wynn and Cllr.Skelland made known their support of the Quarterbridge Report on the Markets. This report did not come to fruition and was changed (by people unknown, behind closed doors. In January 2015 the Lead Member gave notice of an addition of a HUB. The HUB would require the loss of 14 market stalls from 58 to 44.In July 2015 a further update reported that there would only be provision for 30 market stalls. In December 2015 now the plans are in the public domain, there are only provision for 20 market stalls. The total loss to the market of 38 stalls. It is my belief that 20 stalls will not provide the variety required to make the market viable.
One of the crazy things with this level of reduction is that the Council / Trust moving forward are dramatically reducing their ongoing revenue. In a Arts Venue where the expectation normally would be free admission, free art gallery etc the supplementary income sources are essential which is no doubt the basis of the Quarterbridge financial modelling. The level of reduction in stall income is surely making this an unsustainable venture.
The truth of this project from day one is that the ‘type’ of stalls currently in the Peoples Market do not fit with the vision of certain Council Members and the Chief Executive.
These people are on personal ego trips and would never be seen dead shopping in a market environment. The prestige from these types of projects is seeing that they are still surviving after 5/10 years- currently I see no business evidence that it will even survive 12 months without massive subsidy.
Perhaps the venture should have a logo
HP
JIe Helen Patterson and Hugh Jones
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