Thatcham facing market take-over

Aiming to reduce cost of stalls and to expand

THATCHAM Town Council is looking to take on running the town’s market.

The council currently pays for a management company to run the stalls but speaking at a meeting on Monday, December 14, town councillor Jason Collis (Con, Thatcham North) said that the town market was more expensive to stall holders compared with Newbury’s market.

Mr Collis said that 30 to 40 per cent difference in the two town markets “seemed the wrong way round” and was harming Thatcham’s market by being less attractive to stall holders.

And, “being very generous”, Mr Collis said that the management company only appeared four times a year; leading the town council to explore options for running the market itself.

“To begin with this may mean we receive slightly less than we do currently but as time goes by, and we get more pitches filled, more money comes back to the council,” he said.

Lee Dillon (Lib Dem, Thatcham North) said that while it would be good to expand the market and the amount of money coming in, would the council be exposing itself to risks?

“Assuming we don’t lose or pick up any trade where would we be with the numbers?” he asked.

Mr Collis said the council would be £38 a week down, plus the £318 annual membership for joining the National Association of British Market Authorities.

However, he said the gap could be plugged by one new stall holder.

Mr Collis said that there was room to expand the market on to the Broadway green and that the council controlling the market would be the first step towards its regeneration.

“We’re hoping to be more competitive with Newbury market and also encouraging local people to have a go,” he said.

“We’re not treating it as a cash cow but making it something for the town and encouraging footfall, which has a knock effect to the rest of the town.”

Town council leader Richard Crumly summed up: “In short we are taking control of our destiny.”

Councillors voted to take over the management of the market and contracting the current operational market manager (who is also a stallholder) to oversee the day-to-day running.

Mr Collis said that the earliest the council could take charge would be February 2016.