NTC Annual Report: Financial year 01/04/12 - 31/03/13, Dah-da! Options

[Andy Capp]

NTC managed to halve the pitch rate by renegotiating the cleansing agreement and discussions are underway to expand the market into other areas of the town!

http://newbury.gov.uk/pdfs/annual-reports/...ort-2012-13.pdf

[dannyboy]

NTC managed to halve the pitch rate by renegotiating the cleansing agreement and discussions are underway to expand the market into other areas of the town!

http://newbury.gov.uk/pdfs/annual-reports/...ort-2012-13.pdf

Can't wait to see the nay-sayers & doom gloomers take on this.....

[x2lls]

Can't wait to see the nay-sayers & doom gloomers take on this.....

This can only be good news!

Rather than knock NTC for a change, I would say thank you for giving support to a local tradition. My wife and I love the market and support it whenever we are in town on said days.

[dannyboy]

This can only be good news!

Rather than knock NTC for a change, I would say thank you for giving support to a local tradition. My wife and I love the market and support it whenever we are in town on said days.

I have never bought a single thing from the market, nor been to Northcroft, borrowed a book from the Library, etc etc, but I don't mind paying towards the upkeep of said facilities for those that do.

Likewise I don't use the canal, but can see the benefit my taxes ( it is true, a far diminished amount which the powers that be deem to forward of late ) bring to those that earn a living from it & profit by living on it. Quid Pro Quo...

[Andy Capp]

I think the Market with its occasional entertainment adds much needed atmosphere to the area, but I have no confidence in the council to build it up. If anything they have damaged the fortunes of the market and spent a lot of money doing it. I wouldn't want to see the Market go as the council don't seem to have a 'plan B' for the area.


BTW - Who do you think this is about?

"One issue on which all Town Councillors on both political sides of the Town Council are fully behind is the effort to resolve the issues in Victoria Park from three years ago, despite the misleading and inaccurate statements from certain political quarters not connected to the Town Council."

I have to say, misleading and inaccurate statements also seem to emanate from the council when they say things like they are doing their best hoping to bring a resolution soon, especially when they throw hollow threats of legal action around. I think the council's actions in this area go beyond disappointing; I'd say it is embarrassing. It would be much better, in my view, to simply say that the legal process is slow and it will take a number of years before any resolution is realised. Keep presenting over-optimistic expectations just results in disappointment.

[On the edge]

Can't wait to see the nay-sayers & doom gloomers take on this.....

There is a name for this sort of thing - pumping sunshine.

Its supposed to be a retrospective 'this is what we've done' report. So read the bit about the market, and its super, marvellous, fantastic. Then go to the market and see the result, abysmal.

Oh, yes, just as we've been suggesting here, lots of things we are doing to put them right, and in particular a massive reduction in rent! Isn't it weird that this intention wasn't reflected in our Community Tax precept.

I do use the market, albeit on a declining basis. If the Town Council has really and honestly stirred its stumps and is doing its bit, perhaps the stall holders can do theirs. Some more modern practices wouldn't go amiss, card payments and some better food hygiene arrangements.

Must admit, I'm still not convinced that this will solve the problem, or that the problem needs solving in the first place. Its an anachronism, like Post Office Telegrams, no longer needed. If you want a nostalgia trip, Milestones at Basingstoke is the place to go.

My view, has the OED really abolished the word gullible? We'll only see the results next year, when if all of what the good fairies at NTC says will come true, the market will be raking in so much we won't need a precept at all!

[dannyboy]

There is a name for this sort of thing - pumping sunshine.

Its supposed to be a retrospective 'this is what we've done' report. So read the bit about the market, and its super, marvellous, fantastic. Then go to the market and see the result, abysmal.

Oh, yes, just as we've been suggesting here, lots of things we are doing to put them right, and in particular a massive reduction in rent! Isn't it weird that this intention wasn't reflected in our Community Tax precept.

I do use the market, albeit on a declining basis. If the Town Council has really and honestly stirred its stumps and is doing its bit, perhaps the stall holders can do theirs. Some more modern practices wouldn't go amiss, card payments and some better food hygiene arrangements.

Must admit, I'm still not convinced that this will solve the problem, or that the problem needs solving in the first place. Its an anachronism, like Post Office Telegrams, no longer needed. If you want a nostalgia trip, Milestones at Basingstoke is the place to go.

My view, has the OED really abolished the word gullible? We'll only see the results next year, when if all of what the good fairies at NTC says will come true, the market will be raking in so much we won't need a precept at all!

the council can only do so much - it is surely in the hands of the stallholders as to how sucessful their market is. After all, NTC don't have any stalls.....

...folk like nostalgia, but they won't pay for it.

[On the edge]

the council can only do so much - it is surely in the hands of the stallholders as to how sucessful their market is. After all, NTC don't have any stalls.....

...folk like nostalgia, but they won't pay for it.

Quite so.

[Andy Capp]

We have to ask though, why are some markets, allegedly, doing well; while others, like ours, not?

[On the edge]

We have to ask though, why are some markets, allegedly, doing well; while others, like ours, not?

In purist market forces terms because it isn't meeting our needs. The competition (shops) is providing a satisfactory alternative. Take me as a customer, for food I think I'd rather buy my pies from a refrigerated cabinet and I quite like my bread to look light and inviting, and to buy my fruit and veg without being festooned with fag smoke thanks. But that's just me and a short walk down the street into Mr Tesco's nice warm shop does it all, plus I can pay by card!

[Andy Capp]

In purist market forces terms because it isn't meeting our needs. The competition (shops) is providing a satisfactory alternative. Take me as a customer, for food I think I'd rather buy my pies from a refrigerated cabinet and I quite like my bread to look light and inviting, and to buy my fruit and veg without being festooned with fag smoke thanks. But that's just me and a short walk down the street into Mr Tesco's nice warm shop does it all, plus I can pay by card!

But is that not the same in other areas too! I understand that you are 'never than more than 10m from a Tesco', or something like that.

[On the edge]

35% market share, must be doing something right. So, if they want to stay in business market traders need to do something that we want that will make them unique. Waitrose have managed. The two German discounters haven't seen a problem? So then market traders, over to you.

[Andy Capp]

So the successful markets have a better standard of trader?

[On the edge]

So the successful markets have a better standard of trader?

In theory, yes. From my experience in practice, yes. The only other alternative is a less discriminating customer base.

[massifheed]

In purist market forces terms because it isn't meeting our needs. The competition (shops) is providing a satisfactory alternative. Take me as a customer, for food I think I'd rather buy my pies from a refrigerated cabinet and I quite like my bread to look light and inviting, and to buy my fruit and veg without being festooned with fag smoke thanks. But that's just me and a short walk down the street into Mr Tesco's nice warm shop does it all, plus I can pay by card!

+1

[Simon Kirby]

So the successful markets have a better standard of trader?

Probably not. I suspect that success breeds success - if a market is thriving then it will attract markets stalls, and those stall will be attracted away from failing markets - the the good markets stay string and the poor ones decline.

If Newbury was to host a speciality market of some kind, and become known for it, then I think it could attract people from 30-40 miles away, but no one is going to travel to see the Charter Market. A miserably small general market is never going to succeed, but if the market could be re-launched with a reasonably coordinated assemble of stalls (which you'd probably have to go and poach from Winchester, Salisbury, Oxford, etc) then it would have a chance, but it would still depend on the market management bringing some magic to the show.

[dannyboy]

Probably not. I suspect that success breeds success - if a market is thriving then it will attract markets stalls, and those stall will be attracted away from failing markets - the the good markets stay string and the poor ones decline.

If Newbury was to host a speciality market of some kind, and become known for it, then I think it could attract people from 30-40 miles away, but no one is going to travel to see the Charter Market. A miserably small general market is never going to succeed, but if the market could be re-launched with a reasonably coordinated assemble of stalls (which you'd probably have to go and poach from Winchester, Salisbury, Oxford, etc) then it would have a chance, but it would still depend on the market management bringing some magic to the show.

What kind of magic are you expecting from the management?


And I think it would lend your argument more credence if instead of picking three cities with more heritage than you can shake a stick at for comparison, picked say Dicot, Andover & Wantage for comparison.

I have a feeling the market is that way it is beacuse that is the way the market traders want it. A bit like the way in which the local cabbies like things just the way they are.