What do you want from market? (From Watford Observer)

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What do you want from market?

4:03pm Wednesday 14th May 2008

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Residents can now have their say on Watford indoor market and help decide on what they want to see happen in the future.

Watford Borough Council has launched an online survey on its website to find out what residents want from the market and why they do or don't shop there.

The survey comes as the indoor market, in Charter Place, continues to struggle for trade, especially as discount shops continue to open in the town centre.

Mayor of Watford, Dorothy Thornhill said: "I am saddened with the decline in the use of the market in Watford. We understand that this is in line nationally with other markets that are now experiencing more competition from other areas such as giant hypermarkets.

"This is why we want to hear from both users and non users to find out what services they expect a 21st century market to provide."

The survey runs from until Sunday, May 25.

Would you like to see the market remain indoors? Or would you like to see it moved to the High Street? Tell us what you think should happen to Watford market by filling out the form below.

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Your Say YourWatford

The Rover, Watford says...
5:23pm Wed 14 May 08

A few simple improvements would be to change the market opening hours and open the market on Sundays (Saturday and Sunday are the busiest shopping days by far). This would encourage more stall holders to the market due to increased footfall, therefor increasing the number of shoppers visiting the market due to increased choice of stalls. Or how about reducing the cost of parking at the Charter Place Car Park (ie make it cheaper to park than the Harlequin Car Parks) and make it so that to walk from the car park to the shops you HAVE to pass the entrance to Watford Market. Watford is a market town and the state of the market is a disgrace!

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Igloo, Watford says...
6:16pm Wed 14 May 08

So let's get this clear; Downhill Dorothy and all her munchkins are tripping down the yellow brick road one day when they realise that they haven't a clue about running what was a thriving market town, so instead of exercsing the grey matter and offering up some of their own bright ideas to residents like italicitalic They hire a very expensive consultant who says "I don't know either, lets survey the residents and see if some bright spark comes up with an idea. I'll get a load of money out of you and maybe, just maybe, some one will come up with the goods. A real money spinner don't you think?"

Except that this will cost residents dearly. Mrs Mugabe gets paid 60 grand a year because she's supposed to have a vision for Watford (not).

I met a couple of Watford's past town planners (they worked here in the 80's and 90's) in Bodega last week. They were having a trip down memory Lane. They kept asking me what the h*ll happened to the place - it's gone to the dogs. Regretably they're right.

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mattley, Watford says...
2:07am Thu 15 May 08

Forget Sundays, Sunday shoppers aren't market shoppers.

Every weekday many thousands of people with money to spend walk from the Clarendon Road to Charter Place through a horrible tunnel and past a huge shuttered off retail area. Even if they'd been prepared to try the maze that is the market it probably wouldn't have been open.

Make the diagonal walk through a default daily route and the rest is easy.

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The Rover, Watford says...
8:24am Thu 15 May 08

mattley wrote:
Forget Sundays, Sunday shoppers aren't market shoppers. Every weekday many thousands of people with money to spend walk from the Clarendon Road to Charter Place through a horrible tunnel and past a huge shuttered off retail area. Even if they'd been prepared to try the maze that is the market it probably wouldn't have been open. Make the diagonal walk through a default daily route and the rest is easy.

erm, Wembley Market just down the road is busy on Sundays, as well as lots of other Sunday Markets and car boot sales. I wonder how many people from outside Watford who use the Harlequin actually realise that the market exists?

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Joliet68, Watford says...
9:30am Thu 15 May 08

Watford Market is an institution which needs to be preserved. There is no, regular, equivalent for miles around.

I would agree with Sunday trading as those who are out earning during the week can't always make it on Saturday.

The thing is, I've requested the chance to fill in their survey but I haven't received it yet. There is no way to request that the survey is sent again and if I fill in my email address it says it's already registered and I can't do it again.

Do they want my opinions or not?

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Andy, Garston says...
9:34am Thu 15 May 08

I would like to see some specialist stalls start up. At the moment there isn't much in there that I want to buy.
I can see why markets are struggling - the clientel seem to be mainly the elderly and most of the goods being sold can be got at a supermarket.
It looks as if markets as I knew them when I was a kid have had their day.

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VERITAS, watford says...
1:46am Fri 6 Jun 08

Mugabe needs to stop taking £64,000 pa from us, as she and her cronies can't revitailse the market. We are all not silly now she will put the blame on us for not thinking of something.
I would like to know how much money has been spent for nothing on consultants, also what the point of asking us what we think? She never listens, you only have to look at the lack of 50m pool and Bill Everett to see that!!

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