Lincoln business representatives raise concerns over if city's Christmas Market is replaced

Lincoln BIG, which represents businesses across the city of Lincoln are highlighting concerns of a proposed alternative to the Lincoln Christmas Markets

The City of Lincoln Council first announced the news that the future of the Market was under threat on Friday the 10th of February, the 4 day historic market delighted over 300,000 visitors to the city last year and is said to provide a huge tourism boost with many local traders saying it's vital to their business.

But now the City of Lincoln Council is looking to end the event. They say it's as a result of feedback from locals and that having so many people in such a small space can be uncomfortable.

Instead, a programme of smaller event throughout the year is being proposed, and this evening it will be discussed- which could see the four day event set aside.

Chief Executive Simon Beardsley told us what it was like finding out the news:

"The news came very much as a shock in terms of what the City Council were proposing. We hadn't known before the end of last week the week of the 6th. The proposals are likely to change what the Christmas market would look like in 2023, and therefore it's been a week that we've just had of crying, trying to get to know more details about the proposals, trying to understand the implications for our businesses within the city and to make sure that we act as a vehicle to collect as much information that we can, for those businesses, because there are a number who would look at the market in a number of different ways.

"They see the challenges and they will have opinions of why the City Council have got to the position where they have. But we've tried to play a part throughout the week in clearing up some miss comprehensions, in terms of what the proposal would be, but equally to try and articulate the concerns that many businesses have had about the potential of not running the Christmas market in 2023."

The four-day event in uphill Lincoln has a maximum capacity 250,000 to 270,000 without visitor experience being affected.

However 320,000 people turned up in 2022, causing long queues around the castle and Lawn area, with people describing it as a “nightmare” and a “disaster” on social media.

Letters of complaint were received following the event, although the council says the general feedback was positive.

A report to the City of Lincoln Executive meeting says the market is already at maximum capacity, and dissatisfaction would only grow with any further visitors.

The council made a loss of £43,000 on this year’s event.

A total of £750,000 was spent on infrastructure, including stewarding, lighting and traffic control.

However, it warns “the anticipated uplift in visitors in 2023 and beyond will overwhelm the physical capacity of the area” and “no amount of additional infrastructure will cope with any further increase in visitor numbers.”

The council has explored several options to keep it running in a modified form, but all have been ruled out.

The cost of stretching the event over two weekends would be “prohibitive”, according to the report.

Ticketing the event would be “impossible due to the many entry and exit points”. If tickets were required for the castle, queues would back up into Castle Square and cause safety concerns.

The financial situation would be even more difficult in 2023 due to rising costs.

The council is instead proposing a six-week ‘Christmas in Lincoln’ period spread across both the uphill area and city centre with a series of “mini-attractions”.

The budget would also help to run other smaller events throughout the year.

Simon however, went on to say that money and contributions were a worry he has in the future, particularly if the proposal is brought in:

"I think the decision by the City Council to reconsider the markets future was not just a cost based one, I think we must also acknowledge that there is a safety issue that they flagged up as well. There are challenges that people have put forward, in terms of, have they paid sufficient time? have they gone the extra mile in terms of looking at different solutions?

"I think from the questions and answers that we've asked, there have been a lot of thought behind the decision that will been made. I don't think that's necessarily been conveyed as well as what it potentially could have been. But in terms of events going forward, I think that plan, yes, necessarily hasn't yet been set, and I think organizations like us, can still need to be consulted, need to be at the table in terms of designing and having an import and allowing other businesses to have an input on what those events will look like going forward should the proposal be voted through."

Council leader Ric Metcalfe described the change as “a very exciting time for the council.”

“We understand that following the massive success of 2022, so many people in such a small area over a short period of time can be uncomfortable, and we want to ensure the best experience possible for visitors to our wonderful city,” he said.

“In spreading events through the year, we would be able to give businesses the opportunity to have ongoing financial boosts through increase footfall across the year.”

No decision has yet been made yet though.

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