Traders 'heartbroken' over exclusion from Christmas market in Chichester

The traditional market traders in Chichester claim the Christmas Market set up by the council excludes them even though they normally operate in North and East Street week in and week out through the rest of the year.

Instead Chichester District Council has given the opportunity to an out of town outfit, Woodland Crafts Events Management, and told the traditional traders they will have to operate from the Cattle Market.

They fear the decision, which they claim they were not consulted about, will do irreparable damage to the Wednesday Market traders who had already stocked up for December and now stand to lose thousands of pounds.

The new Christmas Market is advertised as being based on arts and crafts, but at least half the stall holders will be selling the same products as offered by the traditional traders like farm produce, cheeses and other food products, gardening, clothing, drinks and burger bars, decorations etc, the traders said.

Sam Theuma, manager of the traditional traders, said: “The traders are heartbroken, all their Christmas plans have been shot down.

“Many of them have spent thousands of pounds preparing for the most important month of their trading year.

“The council dropped their Christmas Market plans on us at the last minute without consulting us. Its ridiculous and so unfair, there are plenty of spaces to include us in North and South street as well.

“The nature and mix of the Craft Traders is nothing more than a duplication of the Wednesday Traders occupying the same space taking the trading livelihoods of the established Wednesday Traders away at this important time of year.”

A spokesperson for Chichester District Council said: “All of our market traders are valued and appreciated. We were keen for the Wednesday markets to continue trading in Chichester during December in addition to the Christmas market and regular Chichester Farmers’ Markets. As part of this, we offered the market operator three Wednesdays to trade from the near-by Cattle Market Car Park and additional free trading days in the city centre in the build up to December plus Christmas Eve. However the market operator, Brays Associates, has taken the decision not to run the markets this month until Saturday, December 24, when you can find them in the city centre. The markets will return as normal from Wednesday, December 28.”