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MarketTimesJune2015

REPORT Market Times • June 2015 Colchester Market comes home to the High Street By NICOLA GOULD Colchester's mayor, Councillor John Elliott and the mayoress, Mrs Janet Elliott, cut a ribbon to officially open Colchester market in its new High Street home. They are pictured with Coun Mick Barker, President of the National Association of British Market Authorities. 36 THE new-look Colchester Market has been officially opened in its new location in the High Street following an investment of more than £100,000 by Colchester Borough Council. An ancient charter market in what is reputedly England’s oldest town, Colchester market has led a nomadic existence in recent years. Stalls could be found in a number of different locations in the town centre including Culver Street West, which some felt detracted from the market as an entity. Then, when the recession struck, the council decided to review the market and asked market consultants Quarterbridge to look into the best options for its future. Karen Turnbull, enterprise and tourism development manager for the council, said neither the market nor the town were doing badly. Both were weathering the recession well. Colchester is currently benefiting from multimillion pound investments in a number of locations including an extension to the main department store on the High Street and new leisure and cultural facilities. “But the Portas review put the focus on rejuvenating towns and high streets so we felt we should look into all the options,” Karen said. Hayden Ferriby, Quarterbridge’s commercial director, said they found that some people in Colchester weren’t even aware that the stalls constituted a market every Friday and Saturday. “The disparate nature of the market was an issue,” he said. “It used to be on the High Street many years ago, but in those days there was no uniformity.” Quarterbridge decided the solution was to return the market to its original High Street home, and to rebrand it, with new stalls, access to electricity and with a dynamic marketing and promotional programme incorporating a strong social media element. Consultations with traders and other stakeholders suggested people were broadly in favour of the move, although not everyone agreed. The street traders wanted to stay in Culver Street West and a petition has been handed into the council calling for them to be allowed to stay put. The council says their situation is under review and was always intended to be the next phase of the project. Meanwhile the market moved on Good Friday and the mayor officially opened it a couple of weeks later amid music and general razzamatazz. The new-look market comprises 50 gazebos in a line down the High Street with bright blue and white striped canopies and Colchester market branding. The gazebos, supplied by Vitabri, include a distinctive awning, and were chosen for their practicality and appearance. “They are easy to put up and down and we commissioned a striped canopy which gives a traditional market look,” Karen Turnbull said. The 30 businesses offer a good mix of traditional stalls, food and modern, upmarket


MarketTimesJune2015
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