Traders in Willenhall oppose market changes, blaming bad management for its decline and council inaction.
Many traders work at other markets. They feel Walsall Council could improve things. Market Curators is reviewing all three markets, funded by the government. The goal is to make the markets profitable. Traders weren’t sure if curators visited Willenhall, as they first met them at a meeting recently.
Staffing costs £59,010 per market yearly. Traders don’t understand what this covers. They say it’s hard for new traders to join, and that the market isn’t promoted. John Dawkins has traded there 18 years, following in his dad’s footsteps, and now trades in three towns.
John sees great potential in Willenhall. It has free parking, a new station, and new homes are being constructed. He thinks management is lacking in the market. Other markets promote themselves better through active engagement using Facebook. He wonders why Walsall Council doesn’t do this, too.
Chris Thompson sells toiletries at Willenhall for 30 years. He left to trade in other towns. He says another market grew from 35 to 90 stalls, showing what’s possible with work. He thinks the council is clueless. Other markets let traders start quickly, whereas Willenhall takes weeks to get back to prospective ones.
One woman waited 18 months to hear back. Willenhall has potential on Wednesdays, as no other nearby market operates that day. The council says “doing nothing” is not an option. Chris feels they’ve done nothing for ten years and feels frustrated by this inaction.
Traders met the curators just once and hadn’t seen them on the market prior. The curators proposed a new plan where traders will use their own gazebos now. The traders don’t think it will succeed and voiced this at the meeting.
Liana Porter has sold pet food for six years. She says it should be easier for traders to join and that eight people she knows never heard back. The council pays £53k for market setup, which covers stall setup and breakdown each day.
The curators suggested buying pop-up stalls with Walsall Council branding, replacing the current stall rental system. They also proposed a town center kiosk to store stalls and serve as a coffee shop. The estimated cost is £104k for these changes.
Traders arrive as early as 3:30 a.m. They wonder who will staff the new kiosk. They worry about setting up gazebos alone in the dark, and are concerned about dirty anchor points. They also think setup already takes too long. They agree the current system works well. Both the council and curators were asked for comment.