Frustration as Bury Market traders turn up to work without running water

Yahoo

19-06-2025

Stall holders were left frustrated - while customers were turned away - as Bury Market was left without water for a 'third time in months'.
Traders were greeted by the problem as they arrived on Wednesday morning (June 18), leaving some stalls unable to carry on with business as usual.
Town hall bosses say the issue was caused by a leak which began on Tuesday evening and the problem was resolved by lunchtime.
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But stall holders say it was the third time the market had been left without running water in recent months - and the issue has taken its toll on trade.
One trader, who asked to remain anonymous, said: 'The market office staff have been aware of the issue since 5pm yesterday, but didn't message or email any of the traders that are affected.
"The market office doesn't want to discuss any compensation with traders and is getting frustrated when it's asked about.
"As a food business, we need to have running water, and this is the third time in recent months that this part of the market has had no water. Office staff are expecting traders to stick around, but a lot of stalls and cafes can't run at the moment."
Traders were particularly frustrated by the issue as Wednesday is a popular day for the market, with coaches bringing customers in from nearby areas.
Visitors flock to the famous market, with stalls selling everything from clothes and jewellery to electrical goods, but it was at the market's food stalls and cafés where the lack of running water was a major issue.
Ashley, who owns Café Loco, described how her café was unable to serve coffee and had to resort to using paper cups and plates due to being unable to wash any dishes.
She said: 'We haven't been able to sell our most popular item. We have had to turn some customers away."
While many stalls did not need water, the lack of toilets meant workers and customers had to walk to the nearby Millgate Shopping Centre to use the facilities there.
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Traders said that last time the water went off at the market, it was fixed earlier in the morning.
On Wednesday, the issue was fixed by 12pm, but stall holders said they did not know how long the issue would take to fix before it was resolved.
A Bury Council spokesperson said: "We discovered a water leak yesterday afternoon (Tuesday), which turned out to be coming from an old water pipe.
"United Utilities came out to repair it and replaced a section of the pipe. The water was back on by 12pm."