Contact the Telegraph
Send us your news tips, photos and videos Text LT and your message to 80360 or click here for more ways to contact us »
Traders anger at Darwen market 'crisis' meeting
8:32pm Monday 14th April 2008
TWENTY traders from Darwen Three Day Market called a 'crisis meeting' tonight to discuss their future.
Traders said they were been forced to take the measure because they had no confidence in the management, there were a lack of customers, empty stalls and a fall in revenue.
JOIN THE DEBATE
How could Darwen three-day market be improved? Add your comments below.
The meeting was led by Clive Wilson, who has run six stalls on the market since it opened in the 1970s.
Mr Wilson said: "Our overall object is to make a living and to provide a service for the town.
"At the moment that is not happening.
"Customers see empty stalls and ask if the market is closing.
"We need to know if it is closing down and, if it isn't, then we need to do something to make it full again.
"We want answers.
"They're not running this market like a business.
"The management is top-heavy and money spent on their wages could be spent running this place rent-free for a year."
During the hour-long meeting held in the Three Day Market building, which adjoins the five-day market hall off The Circus, the traders decided that they will put their concerns and questions in a letter to the head of the market at Blackburn with Darwen Council.
Among their concerns is the two-hour parking restriction on the market carpark and the lack of variety of products sold.
John Slater and Frank Pearson have run Bargain Tools on the market for two and a half years.
Mr Slater said: "There is too much negativity from the council.
"The rent is extortionate - we have to make £100 a day just to break even.
"We're taking 50 per cent less than we were this time last year.
"We've even had to take a stall on Rawtenstall Market two days a week and we're only making the same as this time last year by working more.
"Some days we work for less than the minimum wage.
"Ever since the new road layout was completed in town our takings have fallen because it takes people away from this part of town."
Mr Pearson said: "The management have never done anything for us.
"At Rawtenstall they've bent over backwards to make us welcome and make sure we come back.
"Part of the problem is that when they moved people out of the Redearth triangle for the new academy, they took away hundreds of people who used to come to us like a corner shop."
A spokesperson for Blackburn with Darwen Council said: "We hold regular meetings with the market traders.
"We can't comment until we know what the concerns are."
Your Say YourTelegraph
Green Man Flashing, Pendle Hill says...
11:10am Thu 17 Apr 08
The council is more thsn happy to spend money on and authorise more food outlets but it seems local shops/stalls for local people are irrelevant to them. I am born and bred in Darwen and in the last decade have watched the decline of the town as a whole with great sadness. Not that long ago you could spend hours looking around the retail outlets now its a case of get in and out asap. I genuinely hope that the markets we have can be rescued and 'reborn' to what they once were and I know locals will support the stall holders.
Norris McQuirter, On the spot says...
9:32am Thu 17 Apr 08
ex darwen wrote:How is the the council's fault that big shops don't want to risk opening in Darwen?
The council ask for far too much for rent for the stalls.Give he little paople a chance to earn their living? and give other people some inspiration to open a business IF?? only on a 3 day market..NO wonder so may people are out of work, when they try to do something you( council)charge them too much rent to afford a stall o start up. What will you do IF? you close he market? flatten it for a car park?OR build a lidle there? Darwen is no loger he quaint town I visited many yrs ago, it consists of takeaway takeaway & more takeaways.BUT again I blame the council Darwen could have big stores here to spend their money BUT no you pefer them to go to b/brn/Bolton or preston. With little money in the town I would have thought you'd at least want them to spend some of in the town,not give it to othe towns..BUT whats left in darwen to shop for anything decent? Get a grip council before darwen is no more & just an extention of bblackburn etc.
They struggle enough in Blackburn.
Patricia Tatchell, Huddersfield says...
1:45pm Wed 16 Apr 08
Jessica Summer wrote:I agree with you the same with any market
The Market in Blackburn is C**P. It has loads of empty stalls and has no atmosphere. If you dont need a mobile phone or a pair of jeans dont bother. Same with Darwen. The stall holders pay far too much rent.
if any of you travel out of town i will honestly tell you dewsbury is a fab market and also a fab car boot on sunday
Halifax market hall has character, leeds is a fab market along with wakefield
i think bolton market has gone down hill since they renovated it
ReThink, Darwen says...
11:58am Wed 16 Apr 08
Darwen resident, says...
11:11am Wed 16 Apr 08
Michael wrote:There are lots of market towns in England and they're clean and tidy. But a town can only look nice if the council spend money on making it look nice and the inhabitants don't destroy it.
I go in the market every week, the place is a mess, just feels really dirty. I say it should be pulled down and one big complex built were the existing markets are now. Bring the town centre up to date a bit
Michael, Darwen says...
9:41am Wed 16 Apr 08
Darwen resident, says...
8:19am Wed 16 Apr 08
ex darwen, lancs says...
12:09am Wed 16 Apr 08
Jessica Summer, Beardwood, Blackburn says...
10:34pm Tue 15 Apr 08
If you dont need a mobile phone or a pair of jeans dont bother.
Same with Darwen.
The stall holders pay far too much rent.
BigPete, darwen says...
7:24pm Tue 15 Apr 08
Patricia Tatchell, Huddersfield says...
4:32pm Tue 15 Apr 08
Unconvinced, Darwen says...
3:32pm Tue 15 Apr 08
In the end it is down to our own choices as individuals. If we choose to go into the market, it will thrive, if we choose not to, it will die.
One simple thing would help. The traders are right to complain about problems, but why do they not also trumpet successes. I talk to Darwen folk who don't go into town any more because they believe all the decent shops are gone and it is impossible to park. Neither of these things are true, but the unrelenting negative stories has convinced them it is true.
So a challenge for the traders - how about a month of effort to tell the people of Darwen just how good you are and drum up trade?
GP, Darwen says...
3:27pm Tue 15 Apr 08
Kayleah, says...
2:34pm Tue 15 Apr 08
What about Saturday when they are open all day I work too but I can always find time to go.
As for supermarkets having everything under one roof well that may be true but it just does not taste the same. It just tastes so mass produced and plastic.
I would never dream of buying my meat dairy or veg products at a supermarket. Aside from the taste the local businesses providing those supermarkets are getting a very unfair deal for their goods.
I would rather pay an extra pound to get better quality, sevice with a smile and know that I am keeping business going in my home town
Simon, DARWEN says...
2:00pm Tue 15 Apr 08
People work longer hours, have to travel further a feild to find work. Markets and Market hours just do not lean themselves to todays modern young workforce. Look whats happening to the Post Offices.
Why wait until you can visit a market on a saturday when you can nip to Tesco or Asda at 1 in the morning and find everything you need under one roof.
ex resident, Birmingham says...
1:39pm Tue 15 Apr 08
thomas, Darwen says...
1:11pm Tue 15 Apr 08
other successful markets in the area? Of course, the main problem is the market's close proximity to the cut price large stores as I said before, Sainsbury's, Iceland and Netto - but they are pretty "faceless". I must say that Sainsbury's incidentally are very helpful to local organisations for raising money so I am not condemning them out of hand.
Darrener, Darwen says...
10:38am Tue 15 Apr 08
How many years before they "Know" what the concerns are? This argument has been going on for years.
Green Man Flashing, Darwen says...
9:39am Tue 15 Apr 08
happy bob, on one says...
11:10pm Mon 14 Apr 08
Thomas, Darwen says...
9:18pm Mon 14 Apr 08
Your sayYourTelegraph
Register for a FREE Lancashire Telegraph account and you can have your say on today's news and sport by adding comments on articles we publish. The best comments may even get published in the paper.
Please register now or sign in to continue.
CONCERN: Stall holders in the Darwen three-day market gather for an emergency meeting
In this section
- Duo rescue neighbour from Haslingden house fire
- Burnley schoolboy Josh makes goalscoring return
- Blackburn man starts his own wind farm
- Accrington boy, 3, battles leukaemia
- Rain doesn't stop Blackburn celebration
- Darwen scooter club's big push for paralysed girl
- Burnley primary school praised by inspectors
- 'Albino' bird lands in Trawden
- Whitworth rush cart festival revival
- Accrington dealer avoids jail
What's On Live Travel YourTelegraph
Local Advertisers
Local Information
Enter your postcode, town or place name
Thomas, Darwen says...
6:37pm Thu 17 Apr 08