Page 31 - MarketTimesDecember2014
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  Market Times • December 2014
REPORT
Andy said: “We didn’t have time to tell our regulars what was happening, and the council couldn’t find us an alternative site, so there was no market for several weeks.”
David Sullivan, who sells gardening and household goods, said: “It wasn’t anyone’s fault. Southern Water gets no benefit from the market - the tank is simply an asset to prevent flooding. But they were helpful, and the council simply did not have enough car parking space so it was initially unwilling to give us a car park site.”
Fortunately, a compromise was agreed and Whitstable market is doing as well as can be expected on its temporary site.
Southern Water has completed half the work and a section of the car park has reopened, but the traders have decided to wait until the project is completed so that
they can publicise their return to GorrellTank.
Andy and David are hopeful about the future, but some traders fear that the market may not survive.
Steve Bamber, chairman of Canterbury branch of the National Market Traders Federation, has his concerns.
But David Sullivan said: “The negotiations with the council were helped by the fact that we have a structure as a traders co-operative and we were able to put our business case, which was what they wanted.”
Only time will tell, and there is no fixed date for completion of the works, but the traders are hoping there will be a future for their market which is a much loved feature of life in Whitstable.
David Sullivan, who sells gardening and household items on Whitstable market, is hopeful that the market can return to its old site or an alternative site that will be just as good
   cigarettes, batteries and novelty Andy Cullen, pictured with his wife, Karen, is chairman of the market traders co-operative that runs goods, fears for the future of the
Whitstable market and has led negotiations to keep it going through difficult times market
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Steve Bamber, who sells e-
 


















































































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