Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has defended a decision to cancel an outdoor market which was due to have been held in Ballyclare this Sunday.
Speaking at a meeting of the council’s Community Development Committee in Mossley Mill, on Monday evening, Ballyclare Alliance representative Alderman Lewis Boyle said he was “concerned that there was no member consultation”.
“I am concerned we as councillors were informed after this decision had been made,” he added.
Director of Community Development Ursula Fay told the committee that officers took an “operational decision”.
However, she acknowledged that communication around the planned Ballyclare market has not been “satisfactory”.
She indicated that markets have been organised in the borough as part of the town centres’ recovery following the Covid pandemic, “primarily to deliver footfall”.
“Ballyclare market is very much about getting footfall into the town centre and increasing footfall,” she added.
She went on to say that the decision to re-schedule was made on the basis of the fact that there would have been “very limited other traders open”.
Ald Boyle went on to say that communication was “not very clear” on this event and insisted that there should have been consultation with councillors.
A spokesperson for Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council said:
“Town centre markets are contracted for the benefit of town centre businesses by increasing footfall.
“Given that the majority of Ballyclare shops are closed on a Sunday, the council asked Urban Markets who are contracted to run town centre markets on the council’s behalf, to move the event to another date so that the local business community can benefit from it.
“All communications with market traders was done by Urban Markets rather than the council.”
Ald Boyle told the Local Democracy Reporting Service after the meeting that the matter had been brought to his attention by an email from the council saying that the market was to be re-scheduled at the request of several councillors that it should not be held on a Sunday.
“Council’s official response is that the market is to be re-scheduled as not a lot of businesses are open in Ballyclare on a Sunday,” he said.
“The main question is why was this market planned and advertised just for it to be cancelled just 10 days beforehand. That is absolutely outrageous. There are still questions to be answered.
“I am very concerned that no consultation was taken with stakeholders, with traders, with DEA (District Electoral Area) members and other businesses in the town.
“I am just concerned for the traders. I will be working with the council to get this re-scheduled as soon as possible and rebuild trust.”
In an online post, one trader said:
“We had this market booked and confirmed over a month ago and for it to be cancelled at such short notice is disgusting.”
Another trader said: “I had been booked for this event for well over a month, and like many others, I was looking forward to it. This event has been months in the making, and to cancel it at the last minute is not only inconvenient but incredibly unprofessional.
“ANBC has previously stated its desire to support and revitalise local markets, but this action contradicts those claims. How is this supporting local businesses?
“These events are vital for many small businesses, and the cancellation directly impacts our income and livelihoods. Not only have over 20 local businesses been affected, but local brick-and-mortar shops in Ballyclare town would also have benefited from the increased foot traffic the market generates.
“I’m genuinely interested in understanding the rationale behind these decisions, especially when commercial considerations do not seem to have been a factor.”
Urban Markets has been asked for a comment.