Traders row over Sunday market

Rival traders exchanged words as councillors ruled on whether to allow the market operator to permanently change its days.

Malcolm Eastoll wanted to swop the traditional Thursday opening at the Place St Maur market for Sunday because of a drop in business on the weekday.

But nearby shop and kiosk owners claimed the alteration would worsen the impact of the market stalls on their trading.

Councillors on Arun District Council's licensing committee agreed last Fridayto allow the Sunday sessions but only for four months. They ordered that a report about the new day's trading should be prepared for them to consider in September when they would debate the matter again. They also stipulated that the stall-holders should only set up after 9am and could not start selling until 10am.

The committee members were concerned as well that a new layout for the market should be considered by Mr Eastoll with council officers. This is to see if the maximum of 30 pitches could be set out differently to enable the gift shop and the cafe on the Place St Maur to be seen by customers of the market.

They, additionally, reminded Mr Eastoll that Sunday opening was subject to planning and Sunday trading laws.

His Tuesday and Saturday hours of operation stay the same under the ruling.

Mr Eastoll volunteered to stop opening on bank holidays and is still bound by a condition that the Place St Maur has to be clear of the market for three weekend major community events a year.

A trio of seafront business owners turned up to the committee hearing to complain about the Sunday market opening.

Angie Bradbeer, who runs an arts and crafts outlet on the promenade, said: 'We are all fighting for business. The only day of the week we are successful is Sundays. We feel the pinch on market days. People come out of Butlins. We are their first port of call and they ask us where the market is.

'We show them and they don't come back to us. They go through the market into the town centre.'

Seafront traders' association chairman Shirley Hardy stated: 'At present, the market being open on a Thursday encourages visitors on midweek breaks to venture out of Butlins and shop within the town.

'Sunday is normally a day of rest for people and so there is normally an influx of holiday visitors to the town. Unfortunately, the market traders' vehicles will occupy a large amount of the limited parking spaces and so be counterproductive.'

Kathryn Crabb, who jointly owns the Pic--Brac gift shop on the Place St Maur, said: 'The market has a detrimental effect on our business as their stalls completely block off our shop and funnel people straight past us to the Arcade.

'I feel that the market already do the '˜best' days of the week and now want to take away the only good day left to us.'

All the traders said they accepted the market's presence.

Mr Eastoll took over the market '“ established for more than 20 years '“ in 2000. 'Over the last couple of years, the Thursday has declined with traders and businesses,' he explained to the committee.

'Thursday has just gone down and down. I have 25 traders there and they are all feeling the pinch. Sunday seems a better way to go and the traders want to open on Sunday. If I could switch the opening, it would give us a boost.

'I run a stall in the market as well. I could not make a living just from running the market,' he added.

Mr Eastoll had received temporary permission from the council to open on three Sundays, which ended the weekend before the hearing. He said one was wiped out by bad weather. But he still had to pay an annual rent to the council for the use of the Place St Maur regardless of days lost.