Butchers Market £2m investment backed with assurances given that traders will be involved at every phase of regeneration

Plans to invest and regenerate Wrexham’s indoor markets have been welcomed by councillors – however there are warnings that any works should include consultation with traders from start to finish.

As we previewed on Monday (longer article about the contents of the report before councillors here) the the Employment, Business & Investment Scrutiny Committee was considering the future development opportunities for the two grade 2 listed indoor markets (Butchers Market and General Market) and the outdoor Monday Market, with £2m investment earmarked for the Butchers market.

Yesterdays meeting began with the usual introductions, including a short speech by Council Leader Mark Pritchard who asked the committee to ‘find courage’ to support the report and send it to his Executive Board so ‘not to miss the opportunity to draw funding and move the markets forward’.

He said: “Please don’t miss this opportunity to draw down this funding and move the markets forward as they deserve

“We as a council, the markets belong to us and our assets and we’ve under invested in those assets for far too long. Looking forward we have the same opportunity as we did with our social housing stock to change it and invest in it.”

He added that he expected ‘problems and disruption’ with traders due to the nature of the proposals adding there would need to be ‘discussions’ with traders.

One of the key concerns raised was the disruption that such redevelopment work could have on the market traders.

The General Market representative politely and firmly told the committee not to forget her market, with the focus of the initial investment aimed at the Butchers Market. It was claimed previous limited funds had been wasted either on consultants or jobs that didnt need doing, and the Ty Pawb / Peoples Market project referred to with a plea of ‘please don’t make the same mistakes again’.

Representatives from the Butchers Market briefly noted that any decisions would have ‘huge affect’ on the businesses in the market, personalising the issue by noting that means impact to employees and their families. Another spoke of the potential disruption due to work taking place, and that trading needs to be possible during that period.

In a theme that was set to run over the next one and a half hours, a request was made for more regular meetings between Wrexham Council and the traders on the proposals and shaping the outcomes.

Cllrs Marc Jones and Geoff Lowe spoke positively of the report and the need to invest in the markets, with the latter stating “a project like this to protect the markets is long overdue”. Cllr I David Bithell joined in the praise, calling it a ‘fantastic opportunity’ but wanted assurances that the traders would be involved at every stage of the process, as it was ‘imperative we have their support’.

Cllr Pritchard stated he saw such involvement ‘as a given’, stating there would be disruption however it was how the council mitigated it was the key, pointing out if he was a trader he would have similar concerns at this point. The council officer assured the meeting that traders would be kept involved ‘absolutely’.

The meeting took a slight detour when Cllr Rodney Skelland asked questions that indicated he had not read the report before the committee. In a slightly embarrassing exchange he had to be told the answer to his query was in the report, with both a council officer and the chairman of the meeting Cllr Paul Roberts pointing him to the fact.

Cllr Dana Davies queried the sustainability of the project as proposals lacked details in that area, pointing out she was happy to see a budgetary deficit if it meant investment in an asset that would benefit the town centre, however was concerned if targets were not met would that mean grants could be clawed back.

As with several answers it appears the early proposals are an outline idea of regeneration for the markets, with the details now being firmed up and brought before councillors in what looks like a year or so.

The detour from the early positivity continued with a long debate over a proposed change to the market space to increase ‘dwell time’. A previous private meeting of the Task and Finish Group was referred to where the committee was told there was ‘broad agreement’ to the principle of such a change, however the Chair of the meeting noted that the report before them had a firm ‘100% against’ the idea. Cllr Roberts asked for ‘clarity and transparency’ on that point.

Market representatives spoke at concerns about shifting or removing stalls, and related that a meeting previously had seen a suggestion of a cafe in the middle of the Butchers Market rather than an open space in the middle, which was strongly rejected by traders. The results of an internal survey conducted by traders was given as data to back up the rejection of ‘dwell space’, with ‘not one’ person in support of something as seen at Ty Pawb. The ‘dwell space’ in Ty Pawb was referenced as having a food hall and seating area ‘not being used’, with one representative telling the meeting “I was in there on Friday, there was nobody in there”, adding ‘what is the point of having the same in all three markets?’ pointing out different offers in the markets could be a positive.

Cllr Skelland went off-piste and raised un-evidenced claims that the markets had been ‘managed appallingly’ , however toned down his mismanagement allegation by distancing it from current staff, stating that management of the markets was in his view a key thing. Cllr Frank Hemmings pointed out that the issue had never been raised during the Task and Finish Group and thus was not looked at.

Cllr Skelland carried on, ending by asking if anyone on the committee had run a businesses with the implication the skillset was not there to advice or decide on such matters. In a discussion taking place in a quiet room a few chairs away at the start of the meeting Cllr Marc Jones did point out he had been running a town centre business for several years, empathising with market traders on the ‘slog’ and the struggle with ever changing market conditions. A point evidently missed by Cllr Skelland.

Chairman of the committee, Cllr Paul Roberts brought the meeting back on track with questions again raised about the input of traders, communication and if the Butchers Market being a Grade II listed building would require a contingency fund incase of hidden costs.

The officer explained that such excesses would only really be known after surveys and work takes place, however there was a provision in place to attempt to access another pot of money and it had been made known to relevant parties such as the Welsh Government that Wrexham Council’s intention would be there for that purpose.

Cllr Kevin Hughes spoke in support of the report and a positive recommendation, content that the ‘detail will come later’ and that it was indicative to a direction of travel.

The positivity continued with an exasperated Cllr Andy Williams pointing out he had considered giving up with the committee as historically he felt it had ‘done nothing for years’ and was confused why there was ‘arguments’ on a report backed with £2m of secured funding, “Page 46, we have two options, support or not. It is easy, the markets deserve money spent on them.”

“It is about our vision, and the traders vision, hand in hand to work right”, “I cant believe we have argued or had a long discussion over it, the point is we have £2m here to spend on the markets.”

Cllr Nigel Williams called the report ‘exciting’ and looked forward to it enticing ‘more unique traders in Wrexham’.

The committee unanimously supported the idea of a £2m investment, meaning the report goes forward to the council’s Executive Board. With the strongly supportive speech in the meeting and cross party make up of the Task and Finish Group that created the report it appears highly likely the next year or so will see plans firmed up to what exactly the £2m investment will mean for the Butchers Market, and other markets in Wrexham.