New hope for the future of Dorchester's Wednesday market
Profits have been dropping for a number of years
Dorchester's main Wednesday stall market could be about to enter a new, positive, era.
New markets committee chair Cllr Molly Rennie says there is now a ‘can do’ attitude from Dorset Council which puts the success of the market above the need for profit.
She has revealed that talks are continuing about handing some of the administration of the weekly market from Dorset Council to Dorchester town council.
The towns markets, which include the Sunday car boot and daily stalls in South Street, as well as other, occassional markets, are jointly overseen by the two councils with the majority of any income going to Dorset Council.
Profits at the main market have been dropping for a number of years with most recognising that changes are needed – although as yet no firm plans have been produced despite a consultation exercise almost two years ago.
Cllr Rennie told a town council meeting on Monday that there was now a more positive approach from Dorset Council over the future of the market and a willingness to help it flourish.
“It’s no so much about the money they get back, but enhancing the role of the market.
“It is constructive and there is a willingness to take this forward for the right reasons,” she told the town council policy committee.
She said that market operators, Ensors, were also onboard with the idea of making improvements in the time which remained on their contract to manage the market.
Cllr Rennie also praised the traders who had turned up week after week throughout the pandemic to provide essential goods for residents.
Town clerk Adrian Stuart told the meeting that he had reduced the figures the council expected to get from the market during the coming financial year in his budget projections to reflect the ongoing reduction in profits.
FIGURES for the last financial year, which ended in March 2020, show the income for the Wednesday market at £48,000 – a £14,000 reduction on the expected figure at the start of the year. Car Boot income was down £6,000 on a £22,000 estimate at the start of the 19-20 financial year and the Cornhill stalls were down £4,800 compared to the estimate of £26,500.
It is thought that the main Wednesday market income could be reduced to £44,000 or less for the full financial year ending in April.
Profits from the fees for Dorchester’s Sunday car boot sales are donated to local community organisations and charities. This amounted to £18,000 paid into the fund for the last financial year with £13,000 made in donations to around a dozen local groups during the summer.
Income from the car boot for this financial year is currently estimated to be less than half of what it was in the previous financial year which ended in April 2020.