Meeting documents

To consider the following Notice of Motion submitted by the deadline of noon Thursday 4 July 2019.

The following Notice of Motion was submitted by Councillor K Ahmed and seconded by Councillor B Pearce.

I move that this council will bring Wycombe Market back under the direct control of Wycombe District Council by giving the required three months’ notice and resume the management of its own markets.

To consider the following Notices of Motion submitted by the deadline.

The following Notice of Motion was submitted by Councillor K Ahmed and seconded by Councillor B Pearce.

I move that this council will bring Wycombe Market back under the direct control of Wycombe District Council by giving the required three months’ notice and resume the management of its own markets.

Councillor Ahmed requested that he be permitted to present his remarks on the motion after all other speakers. This the Chairman permitted.

Councillor Pearce (seconder) then spoke indicating that he had spoken at great lengths to the market traders about two months ago and some last week. All indicated that if matters are not taken in hand and swiftly, there would be no market within six months.

They had also stated that the Council should take over the day to day running of the market.

Councillor Pearce indicated that all knew about market forces and the affect online shopping was having upon the High Street and shopping centres but some local markets were doing exceedingly well and were very successful.

The markets in Thame, Aylesbury and Princes Risborough, all had an excellent reputation whilst Marlow had a very diverse market and it was probably no coincidence that they all had Town Councils and to the best of his knowledge, the said councils ran the aforementioned markets. 

If drastic improvements were not made virtually immediately, there would not be a High Wycombe Market for much longer which would be a great shame as High Wycombe was actually classed as a market town and there would not be a need for the Chartered Trustees tour of the market anymore.

Members discussed the motion and made the following remarks and contributions to the debate:

·         It was felt that the motion was premature, Members of the High Wycombe Town Committee were due to receive an update from officers on the Market at the next scheduled meeting of the Committee (Tuesday 10 September 2019);

·         It was agreed that the provision of food on the market was to be considered and the affect this had on business rate paying food retailers in the Town Centre;

·         It was confirmed that the current Market Contract ran to 31.3.2021. There was indeed a three month notice at the end of contract i.e. from 1.1.2021. But only then. If notice was given before then the Council could be in breach of contract;

·         A Member noted that without the food provision there would effectively be no market, additionally noting that was not the running of the Market something that the new Unitary Council should hand over to any new Town Council if established?

·         A Member reported the presence of only 4 non food stalls on a recent Tuesday and remarked that the state of the High Street did not help the Market’s vibrancy either;

·         Despite the strange timing of the motion it could not be ignored that something needed to be done, a recent University of Leeds study ‘ Markets for People’ was referenced which advocated market revitalisation not just involving food provision and gentrification, but markets as a means of community inclusion providing invaluable low cost trading units;

·         The lack of use of plastic packaging by market traders in fruit and vegetables as opposed to the supermarkets was commended; and

·         It was confirmed that the successful Marlow market was operated by ‘Transition Town Marlow’ volunteers; including market stall-holders who had self-interest as a motive along with a considerable degree of ownership;

Councillor Ahmed, the motion proposer then gave his reasons for the motion emphasising the control of the Market by a remote company based well away from the town whilst much more vibrant, thriving markets in the County we all under local / Town Council control.

Seventy traders at the start of the contractors’ tenure had dwindled to less than twenty.

Dwindling footfall to high pitch rates meant that traders were losing the will to come to High Wycombe to trade. The matter was now critical and action needed to be taken. The Market also had a historic importance dating back to the early 13^th Century a charter being granted to the burgesses of the town by Henry III.

Upon being put to a vote it was

RESOLVED: That the motion be rejected.

Councillor A Hill asked that it be minuted that he had abstained from the vote on this matter.