Latest news with #BilstonMarket
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Support for market traders rejected
A motion to financially support displaced market traders in Wolverhampton has been defeated. Traders said they had suffered financial loss as well as ill health since Bilston Outdoor Market relocated last year to make way for a £5.2m upgrade of the site. A plea for financial support, asking City of Wolverhampton Council to "step in immediately" was defeated at a full council meeting this week. A statement from the council said major projects were rarely completed without "some level of disruption". Anita Stanley said two traders had suffered ill health and another had quit. The Reform UK ward member for Bilston North said traders had also been informed improvements would not be completed until 2026, rather than before Christmas, as originally planned. Stanley's motion called on the council to put together a financial package to offset trader's losses, freeze rents, and issue an apology letter - but it was defeated at a full council meeting. Cabinet Member for Resident Services, councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, said the Bilston market scheme had "been shaped" by the people who use it - and the council had positive feedback from traders and residents throughout the consultation. He said: "I want to be absolutely clear we will not cut back on our ambition for Bilston. I see the new market as a key development, the catalyst for even further investment in and around it. "Major, multimillion-pound projects are rarely completed without some level of disruption. "We know from talking to market traders and local businesses that the current situation has created some positives and some negatives. "We will continue to listen to and work with them to make this is as pain-free as we can, whilst preparing them for the bigger prize and opportunities the scheme will create." After listening to traders' ideas in March, the council said phase two of the project would find a way of "better connecting footfall" from the bus station to the indoor market. Gakhal said the council was also announcing a £15,000 fund to increase footfall through events in the area. "I am determined to ensure that traders have a big say in how this is used but I'm clear that it will benefit both the indoor and outdoor markets and the wider town centre", he said. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Financial support bid for displaced market traders City of Wolverhampton Council
BBC News
21 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Support for Bilston Market traders rejected
A motion to financially support displaced market traders in Wolverhampton has been defeated. Traders said they had suffered financial loss as well as ill health since Bilston Outdoor Market relocated last year to make way for a £5.2m upgrade of the site.A plea for financial support, asking City of Wolverhampton Council to "step in immediately" was defeated at a full council meeting this week. A statement from the council said major projects were rarely completed without "some level of disruption". Anita Stanley said two traders had suffered ill health and another had quit. The Reform UK ward member for Bilston North said traders had also been informed improvements would not be completed until 2026, rather than before Christmas, as originally motion called on the council to put together a financial package to offset trader's losses, freeze rents, and issue an apology letter - but it was defeated at a full council meeting. Cabinet Member for Resident Services, councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, said the Bilston market scheme had "been shaped" by the people who use it - and the council had positive feedback from traders and residents throughout the said: "I want to be absolutely clear we will not cut back on our ambition for Bilston. I see the new market as a key development, the catalyst for even further investment in and around it."Major, multimillion-pound projects are rarely completed without some level of disruption. "We know from talking to market traders and local businesses that the current situation has created some positives and some negatives. "We will continue to listen to and work with them to make this is as pain-free as we can, whilst preparing them for the bigger prize and opportunities the scheme will create."After listening to traders' ideas in March, the council said phase two of the project would find a way of "better connecting footfall" from the bus station to the indoor market. Gakhal said the council was also announcing a £15,000 fund to increase footfall through events in the area. "I am determined to ensure that traders have a big say in how this is used but I'm clear that it will benefit both the indoor and outdoor markets and the wider town centre", he said. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Rumour Bilston Outdoor Market site is for sale 'is nonsense'
Rumours the former site of an outdoor market site has been sold "are complete nonsense", a council has news comes after Bilston Market traders were moved to another area of town last year to make way for the £5.2m rebuilding of the market on the site by City of Wolverhampton have been raised because traders say there has been no visible progress made since January with one, John Dawkins, saying there were rumours a supermarket chain and a property developer were set to buy the Bhupinder Gakhal, council portfolio holder for resident services, said there had been no activity since March because a detailed design and delivery plan was being drawn up. Mr Dawkins has asked whether "it is still on course to be completed in October", but Gakhal has not provided confirmation the market would be ready to reopen that month. "The council's £5.2m investment in Bilston Outdoor Market is a major redevelopment programme that will see huge improvements for both traders and visitors," said Gakhal."Rumours of the site being sold are complete nonsense – and I wrote to every single trader this week to tell them so." The rebuild project has been financed through the government's Towns Fund said that "enabling works, site and ground surveys" were completed in March" and survey results were being used to create design and delivery plans. "The final timetable and programme of works are due shortly from the contractor and we have told traders they will be the first to know when we have that information," he said. 'No work for months' Traders became concerned when site notices and construction equipment was taken the outdoor markets was knocked down, "the last time there was movement was back in January", Mr Dawkins said."We've approached market officers, they say everything's on track but nothing's happening," he explained. "It's supposed to be complete in October but there hasn't been any work for months."He and other traders said they wanted reassurance about the market's Dawkins added that people wanted to know when and if traders were going to be moved back and "why nothing has happened on the site". This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
