West Suffolk Council approves £300,000 motion to support local markets
A £300,000 initiative to support local markets has been given the green light.
West Suffolk’s cabinet members met on Tuesday to discuss a £300,000 investment package over three years to support local markets.
Cllr Indy Wijenayaka, the cabinet member responsible for the ‘Market Matters’ development plan, said the money would help markets go through the period of transition they are going through, brought on by Covid and changes in shopping habits.
He added: “We recognise that each town is unique and each town brings its own set of parameters and heritage with it.
“This is a continually evolving picture so we aren’t just going to leave it, this is something we are consistently monitoring — we want to make sure we don’t lose our heritage.”
The money, which will be partly funded through the council’s reserves (£290,000) and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (£10,000), will be used to employ additional market officers and admin support, develop funding to support initiatives, and marketing resources.
The initiative will also be under review to make sure measures are successful, with the possibility of changing approaches if needed.
Warnings were once again issued, however, with Haverhill councillor, Joe Mason, arguing it’s too late for market traders despite welcoming the extra money.
Cllr Mason, who raised his concerns during last week’s full council meeting, called for quicker action on markets.
He added: “I like the fact that there’s a conversation about markets, a vibrant market leads to a vibrant town.
“I’m just concerned at the slow progress I feel is being made. For me time has been lost — what I don’t want to see is another slippage of time.”
Addressing his worries, Cllr Wijenayaka assured the council was committed to supporting markets and would employ a growth mindset.
He added: “We aren’t napping on it, we’re taking the situation very seriously.”
His comments were echoed by council leader, Cliff Waterman.
The investment was approved unanimously.
