While the elections at the start of May had a great deal of importance at a national level, there were also many people who were voting for changes at a local level. This was the case in Stockport and, consequently, a change in the administration of the local council could see Stockport Market being saved. There have been plans to scrap Stockport Market, but local traders were pinning their hopes on Labour seizing control at the recent council elections in May.
This came to fruition and Alex Ganotis, the leader of the Labour Group, has promised to start the consultation period again and get fresh opinions from shoppers, businesses and traders. Before the elections, the council was led by the Liberal Democrats, which had stated that they were looking to move traders down towards Merseyway. This was intended to free up the Market Hall for a makeover, which would see artisan drink and food sellers move into the venue. A similar change has taken place in Altrincham and the reaction has been mixed, to say the least.
You can see why, in some areas, outlets selling artisan coffee and baked goods would be immensely popular, but, arguably, this is not solely what Stockport should be focusing on. First of all, the market traders have long been an integral part of life for many local residents, not just the traders and their families. If you took a straw poll amongst the residents of Stockport, you would receive a lot of positive stories and memories relating to people’s time there.
Consultation should be a key component of local council work
One of the biggest issues that was raised with the previous plans was a lack of consultation about the changes. This means that many people may not necessarily be opposed to the changes, but they would prefer to hear more about the options or what could happen if there are changes made to the local market. Since this is something that will have an impact on the Stockport community, the decision making process should involve the people of Stockport.
At Spencer Harvey, we are proud to serve the Stockport community and we know that many people have happy and fond memories of the market and the traders. This isn’t to say that progress and development isn’t happening, but there is a need for proper consultation to take place. This is definitely something that needs to be put in place and it seems as though the new council administration is at least willing to listen to complaints and act if required to do so.
Time will tell whether or not this is an example of what we can look forward to from the new council, but anything that shows that local residents are being listened to has to be seen as a positive thing. While we can’t do anything about potential moves for Stockport Market traders, we can listen to you and provide you with guidance relating to any property moves in Stockport.
Image courtesy of: Mancheter Evening News
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