Is the market under threat?

Market keepers are disgruntled with the management of the market by St Helens Council as the number of traders and customers continues to fall.

The Newton and Golborne Guardian spoke to a number of market traders but none of them wished to be named because of fears over how their comments might be received by the council.

A trader said: "There is half a market here now.

"Decisions are made without any consultation. I've been here 30 years but if it continues like this I'm going to have to pack it up.

"This place is going to the dogs."

Traders cited problems such as relocation of stalls, excessive rates, poor advertising and even a hidden agenda to drive traders away.

One said: "In a nutshell, the rates are just too expensive.

"Traders are put off by high rent. I'm paying four times as much as I did 10 years ago but I'm not taking a quarter of the money."

Stall keepers explained that the market trader's committee had folded, as its members had either retired or had given up trying to influence St Helens Council.

A former member commented: "We attended a meeting but nothing we suggested was taken onboard.

"On the one hand we are told that a new open air market in St Helens would be ill-advised, but they are pushing forward plans to expand the continental market."

A common theme was a perceived waste of money on the re-surfacing of the market.

One trader said: "It didn't need doing and nobody can understand why so much money was wasted on it.

"It's not porous so the water sits on the surface, it will be a real danger in winter because the market will be like an ice rink."

The Newton and Golborne Guardian put five key questions to St Helens Council about the future of Earlestown Market.

St Helens Council said that their investment of £250,000 demonstrates their commitment to the market's future and that they were doing their best to work with traders.

See next week's Guardian for more on this story as we put our questions to the council.