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Watford Market 'is not closing'

8:42pm Tuesday 27th July 2010 in News Photograph of the Author By Michael Pickard

Watford Mayor Dorothy Thornhill sent out a message to shoppers tonight by stating categorically that Watford Market is not closing.

At a meeting of the Watford Market Working Group, traders reported customers were still asking them if the Charter Place market was closing.

These fears stem from plans proposed last year to move the market into the High Street, which drew large amounts of protest and were later scrapped.

Mayor Thornhill told the meeting: “I cannot stress how much damage was done by the kind of confrontation that occurred over the market. It did damage people's confidence.

“I'm hoping now that period has passed, we can all say that's not happening. I never miss an opportunity to say it.”

Comments(9)

bishopofwatford says...
7:28am Wed 28 Jul 10

well well well

watford market is not closing ...u could have fooled me ...take a walk round there are more vacant lots than those actually occupied and trading

why when accepting a new application does the market authorities ie the council actively discourage start up businesses by insisting on an electrical safety check costing the best part of £100?

why not admit that this charge is
to bring the existing supply up to
current (no pun intended) safety standards

what about those existing stall holders are they dispensible??

no , having just returned from a visit to my colleague bishopofleicester
if u want to seee a proper amrket then go their

watford market to close ??...no it will die of its own accord

well i must away i have to organise the local bring and buy
our caretaker mr dithers has gone native and decided to burn all the tressel tables to save the planet and his carbon footprint...just how and why escappes me

keep the fAITH

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fugu says...
9:19am Wed 28 Jul 10

I went to the market a few weeks ago but there wa nothing I wanted to buy. I travel to St Albans, Harpenden and even Borough Market in London on a fairly regular basis because I can buy things i do want there. Locally produced, traceable, good quality fresh fruit, vegetables and meats at good prices. Pies, cheeses bread and beer from further afield. What did I find in Watford Market? Plastic wigs, mobile phone covers an net curtains. Instead of it being a show-piece for the town it's like a giant pound shop. The fruit and Veg stall now outside on the high street are doing better than the ones inside the market. They have to move their stalls so only set up goods that really sell. Stallholders inside the market buy random stuff that sits there for years and years until it sells, or the stall closes. The stallholders "don't like change" attitude will kill the market. If the plant stall that was hidden in the corner was on the high street it would have thrived, but it died. It was the one stall there that we spent most money at. There are two viable models for the market; Back to its roots outside thriving like St Albans Market does, or inside as a show piece for local produce in the style of Borough Market. But both models require that the stallholders and the council change their ways, and that's highly unlikely.

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SumoMan says...
9:44am Wed 28 Jul 10

Put the rents down - fill the place up - simple

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Andrew1963 says...
12:59pm Wed 28 Jul 10

The problem for the Mayor is that she said very publicly (including writing to people who signed petitions), that it was not an option to keep the market in Charter Place. The council applied for and received a large government funded grant to buy stalls for an outdoor market. The Mayor floated the idea of making the pond smaller to increase the surface area for an outdoor market and other events. All the pieces were put together because the Mayor wanted the market out of charter place. The reason, because keeping the market in the centre restricts the options on redevelopment. In particular getting a new anchor department store and linked up market retailers. with the market Charter Place will only gather the discount retailers like Wilkinson, £1 shop and peacocks. I personally think the market should go outside - And this is the only route if we are to have a high quality food offer. Interestingly the new butchers shop in Charter Place looks good, but where is the support from the Council with advertising and signage, to charter Place and the market - none in the car parks - Even Charter Place car park is called 'Palace' - what about a rebrand to 'Market' Car Park?

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bomber18 says...
6:08pm Wed 28 Jul 10

To true it damaged peoples confidence and who was responsible for this? YOU dear Dottie. As the saying goes "tell a lie often enough and eventually people will believe it" The lib-dems are expert at this.

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Angela, Watford Borough Council Comms says...
9:26am Thu 29 Jul 10

Please do go and have a look around Charter Place and Watford Market. The council has invested in new signage, new lights, new flowers and repainted the whole shopping centre. It looks much brighter and more welcoming. There are also lots of new traders in the market and new openings coming soon in Charter Place! PS - the car park is managed by the Harlequin Centre, so we can't do anything about that.

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Steve, Abbots Langley says...
1:57pm Thu 29 Jul 10

The people who have caused problems for Watford's indoor market are Lib Dems like Mayor Thornhill and her sidekick Sal Brinton.

It is the Lib Dems who wanted to close it and move it outside.

http://www.thisisloc
allondon.co.uk/news/
4579508.print/

The problem with the Lib Dems is they say one thing one minute and then say or do something completely different the next. Who can forget Sal Brinton telling everyone how much she support the Lib Dems' plans to shut Watford's indoor market and move it out into the cold, wind and rain, but the very next day popped up to have her picture taken with protestors campainging to save the indoor market.

I wouldn't trust them further than I could throw them. Don't forget one minute (prior to the election) they were against a rise in VAT and then after peoples' votes were counted, they support for the very rise in VAT they had just campaigned against!

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bishopofwatford says...
9:26am Fri 30 Jul 10

Steve, Abbots Langley wrote:
The people who have caused problems for Watford's indoor market are Lib Dems like Mayor Thornhill and her sidekick Sal Brinton.

It is the Lib Dems who wanted to close it and move it outside.

http://www.thisisloc

allondon.co.uk/news/

4579508.print/

The problem with the Lib Dems is they say one thing one minute and then say or do something completely different the next. Who can forget Sal Brinton telling everyone how much she support the Lib Dems' plans to shut Watford's indoor market and move it out into the cold, wind and rain, but the very next day popped up to have her picture taken with protestors campainging to save the indoor market.

I wouldn't trust them further than I could throw them. Don't forget one minute (prior to the election) they were against a rise in VAT and then after peoples' votes were counted, they support for the very rise in VAT they had just campaigned against!
well well well

forget big sal she is a spent and failed force...dotty is the main poer and driver in this town

for some reason it appears to me that wbc want either to close or move the market...frankly anything would be better than the shambles that exists at the moment

as for angela from wbc comms (what on earth is that) a few signs , flowers and general window dressing does not disguise the huge disappointment when u actually get into the market

well i must away our caretaker mr dithers is organising our bring and buy / jumble sale and i am having to go and restrain him from plastering the surrounding area with garish signs and plastic flowers

keep the faith

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spammers says...
10:12pm Mon 2 Aug 10

THE reason, is why it looks so empty at the back is because, the Mayor scared the living daylights out of one large stall holder who had just spent a fortune doing up and taking on another stall - by telling everyone it were to CLOSE!! So who could blame him for moving out!! BUT - despite the Mayor not thinking before she spoke, there are more new traders coming in and most have already arrived. PLEASE come and give these new traders your support. There are 3 new fantastic food stalls, Thai, African & Waffles, plus a new Indian take-away set to open shortly. I am a trader myself and most of us do care and give a very good service!!

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