The answer came in a written answer to a formal question. The original Market renewal project was embarked upon four years ago following a petition of 20,000 Southport residents seeking a better deal for the traders then operating within the market.


The rents at the market have recently been dropped to match the trends in rentals in the town. The result is a deficit of £137,000 per year or roughly £90 per week per present trader.

Went in the Market the other day, it was very quiet, sadly it is only a shadow of its former self, no Hardware stall, I won't bother going in again.

Originally Posted by roving-eye

The result is a deficit of £137,000 per year or roughly £90 per week per present trader.

It is worth recalling that there was on offer the prospect of moving the market into the Cambridge Walks which were being offered for sale to the Council at a knock down price. This project would have been 1 million to 2 million pounds cheaper and would have ended up with a far better-situated market (much higher footfall) and an opportunity to redevelop the present market site to a much higher value as well as sorting out a gaping hole in the town's retail 'offer'.

Sir Ron Watson has been pointing out for years that Councils generally are no good at retail and shouldn't get involved. It always involves shelling out Council taxpayers' money one way or another.

How much more of the council taxpayers money has to be wasted on this market? The councillors and sefton council managers should be brought up to explain themselves and their actions.

Originally Posted by horse

The councillors and sefton council managers should be brought up to explain themselves and their actions.

The principal councillor involved in pushing this project through is no longer a councillor. The man who let her get away with it is now Leader of the Council. Chances of him being held accountable to anyone for anything?

Originally Posted by cherie brandie

It is worth recalling that there was on offer the prospect of moving the market into the Cambridge Walks which were being offered for sale to the Council at a knock down price. This project would have been 1 million to 2 million pounds cheaper and would have ended up with a far better-situated market (much higher footfall) and an opportunity to redevelop the present market site to a much higher value as well as sorting out a gaping hole in the town's retail 'offer'.

Sir Ron Watson has been pointing out for years that Councils generally are no good at retail and shouldn't get involved. It always involves shelling out Council taxpayers' money one way or another.

Rubbish.Moving the traditional market to a poxy arcade with already poor footfall and then selling of the Original for yet more retail space was never going to be acceptable to the people of Southport who wanted the market updating and refitting to make it more pleasant to shop in.It didn't get accepted for good reason, so how you can possibly continue to carry on trying to claim credit for it in the first place I don't know.
Personally I think councilors and other members of their party should not be allowed on these news and forum posts as political oneupmanship is truly off putting and detrimental to this site.

Originally Posted by snazzycracker

Moving the traditional market to a poxy arcade with already poor footfall and then selling of the Original for yet more retail space was never going to be acceptable to the people of Southport who wanted the market updating and refitting to make it more pleasant to shop in.

I would be interested if you could explain your thinking a bit more:

• You call Cambridge Walks a "poxy arcade" but wouldn't having the market there generate its own footfall? It is certainly that bit nearer the town's "centre of gravity" and lies on a link between Eastbank Street and Lord Street and Chapel Street. I would have thought is was an absolutely fantastic location for a Market Hall.
  
• You seem to be opposed to the idea of selling the old market site for retail development. Was that ever suggested? What about if it had been sold for office space? For a hotel? For residential, possibly with mixed uses at ground floor level?
  
• You say the people of Southport wanted the market updating and refitting. What they actually wanted to do was to retain Southport's traditional market. Do you think that is what has happened? How many traders who fought so hard to keep the market are still there?

Originally Posted by snazzycracker

Rubbish.Moving the traditional market to a poxy arcade ... It didn't get accepted for good reason.

Was it rejected for a good reason? If so what was it? I'd be really interested to know as it would appear that the Cambridge Walks alternative would have saved the Council an absolute fortune.