THE town council wants to make it clear they will not be closing Holsworthy’s weekly market indefinitely, but is considering closure during January and February as poor weather conditions in the past have reduced turnout and profits.

The town council met for a full town council meeting on Wednesday, October 4, to discuss the possibility of closing the market during two months only. In previous years it has heard many complaints from traders about the poor weather conditions at the start of the year drastically affecting trade. The council has decided it is time to look into possible measures to ease loses and ensure the Wednesday market can survive into the future — however some traders have expressed their opposition to proposals for a two month closure.

Mayor Jon Hutchings reiterated the point that the council is not planning to close the market for good, he said: “I want to assure locals and traders that we are not closing the market. No decision will be made tonight but we will take any suggestions to a market committee and then back to a full council meeting again.”

Speaking on the issues that have been raised to him by market traders and stall holders, Cllr Hutchings said: “We have had issues with the wind in the past, with traders saying the market in the weeks between Christmas and new year and the one after have been terrible and a waste of time.

“We have had complaints that the tents have been flapping and blowing around in the heavy winds and that this has become quite dangerous. However, now that we have said we will close it they are moaning.”

Holsworthy town clerk Vanessa Saunders, who is also the council’s responsible financial officer, said: “We do make a loss. Because of the bad weather last year they did miss a few weeks of the market anyway.”

Ms Saunders suggested that if they did close the market during January and February it would ‘give us time to clean up’ as many of the complaints the council have received regard the dirty or poor state of the markets tents and signage.

She added: “I am surprised however, that many of the marketers don’t seem to be interested in doing anything to change the situation.”

Cllr Joanne Heaven pointed out that the negative behavior of a few market stall holders may decrease the number of visitors to the weekly market, she said: “If you are providing good products then the visitors will come and it will be better for the traders. However, if the traders are being negative they will only turn custom away.”

Suggesting that a two month closure may be too much, deputy mayor Pat Smith said: “Our losses this year on the market have been unacceptable. Maybe, for this year, we should think about just closing the market during January and see how it goes?”

Cllr John Allen expressed his opposition to the proposals to close the market. He said that it was a ‘chicken and egg’ situation, where the market stallholders won’t do anything because the council has not done anything.

He added: “There is a danger that if we close the market the stallholders will go off to other markets and they will not come back.

“The side panels in the market are dirty, the state of the netting is terrible and there are no proper signs throughout the town directing people toward the market area. I think realistically we need to spend money before we make money.”

Torridge District Councillor Ian Parker has £300 left in a grant available for projects in and around Holsworthy. Cllr Allen concluded the discussions with the suggestion that they take advantage of this grant money and use it to help rejuvenate the market.

Ms Saunders said: “That would be up to the market manager.”

Further discussions will now be held in order to establish what will work best for traders to hopefully increase profits so that the town’s traditional market can be kept alive.