Blyth stall fury goes into new year

Jan 14 2009 by Dave Black, The Journal

FURIOUS stallholders last night claimed problems with a £3m market were getting worse. Traders on Blyth market place – revamped last year at a cost of £3m – say the stalls have suffered a massive failure rate since the turn of the year and are clearly inadequate to withstand a North East winter.

Controversy began in November after the new stalls were provided by Blyth Valley Council, despite warnings from traders that they were not robust enough to withstand even moderate winds. Since then, strong wind warnings have caused the market to be cancelled on a number of occasions – and traders’ representatives say the advent of 2009 has brought no improvement in the situation.

Michael Nicholson, secretary of the Blyth branch and an executive board member of the National Market Traders’ Federation, said on January 2 and 3 the council failed to supply any stalls because it had no staff to erect them, leaving traders to put up their own.

The market was held without incident on Tuesday, January 6, but last Friday water began dripping off the council-provided stalls on to traders and goods.

Mr Nicholson said on Saturday an adverse weather forecast meant the council again refused to supply traders with stalls.

He said: “In the event, there was only a slight breeze and traders worked on their own stalls. Traders now never know if they will be supplied with council stalls or to bring their own.

“Is it not now time that Blyth Valley Council admitted that these stalls may be fit for a more benign climate, but that they are not adequate to withstand a North East winter?”

Blyth branch chairman, plant stall owner George Wardle, said: “These stalls will never work in winter because they are far too flimsy and just not designed for the North East climate.

“We told the council all this more than a year ago. They have made a diabolical error, but will not admit it and are ignoring us.”

Yesterday the council said traders had been informed before Christmas staff would not be available to erect stalls on January 2 and 3. It admitted there were problems last Friday caused by the sun melting frost on the stall canopies and said predicted high winds meant stalls were not provided on Saturday.

A spokeswoman said: “This has been one of the worst winters for 30 years. We still believe that these stalls are the most appropriate for the market and we are not going to change them. We are still working with the stall providers to find out more about them.”