Kirkgate Market Redevelopment - Have Your Say

LS1 · Post by **LS1** » Thu 19 Jun, 2008 8:44 am

raveydavey wrote: It's the first time I've seen this, so thanks to Munki for posting it.It has been one of my bugbears for a long time now that important items for public consultation are often deftly tucked away on obscure parts of website with little publicity only for those involved to bluster "but it's been on the website for six months" or whatever when people question why they know nothing about changes that are foisted upon them.Hiding important consultative documents away on websites should be against the law. Often they are no more in the public domain than if they'd been stuffed behind a radiator at the town hall...The Market needs to be saved, to be nurtured and to be allowed to flourish again. There are many excellent stalls in there and with the right management it could be the antidote to the faceless clone malls that developers seem to thing we want.The fish market is excellent as are many of the butchers and the olive stall by the clock is sublime, for exampleThe council could do a lot worse that create a section in the market for those cruelly thrown out of the Corn Exchange to make way for an expensive restaurant and shops selling truffles. Yeah the Greek place is GREAT! Try the spinach pastie things - super.

Post by **cnosni** » Thu 19 Jun, 2008 4:51 pm

Ive noticed that there ae some farmers markets taking place on certain Saturdays at Oakwood.Perhaps such a market at the Kirkgate market would be a good idea.im sure it would appeal to a large selection of people in town who would like home /local products which benefits local farmers/producers and the environment alike.It means they wont have to be screwed into the floor by the big supermarkets who keep telling us about their organic and locally produced goods that they source from "local" suppliers,but they charge us a fortune and pay the producer a pittance.God,never in my life did i tink id start thinking about such things!!

Tasa · Post by **Tasa** » Thu 19 Jun, 2008 4:52 pm

Kirkgate Market has a thriving farmers' market, every 1st and 3rd Sunday in the month. It's in the outside market.

Si · Post by Si » Thu 19 Jun, 2008 4:55 pm

Otley's farmer's market is on the last Sunday morning of the month.

Post by **cnosni** » Thu 19 Jun, 2008 5:08 pm

Tasa wrote: Kirkgate Market has a thriving farmers' market, every 1st and 3rd Sunday in the month. It's in the outside market. It does?Never even knew that,makes you wonder how many people do know.

Tasa · Post by **Tasa** » Thu 19 Jun, 2008 9:44 pm

cnosni wrote: Tasa wrote: Kirkgate Market has a thriving farmers' market, every 1st and 3rd Sunday in the month. It's in the outside market. It does?Never even knew that,makes you wonder how many people do know. Well, it is busy and some stalls sell out of produce by mid/late morning. Same with the Otley one which is even busier (but crammed into a smaller space). The Leeds one started out about 5/6(?) years ago as monthly but expanded into twice-monthly as it was so popular. It would be good if t could be incorporated into the daily market, but that would defeat the object as the stall holders would feel pressurised into producing stock rather than selling what's seasonal/available.

Post by **cnosni** » Fri 20 Jun, 2008 8:20 pm

Tasa wrote: cnosni wrote: Tasa wrote: Kirkgate Market has a thriving farmers' market, every 1st and 3rd Sunday in the month. It's in the outside market. It does?Never even knew that,makes you wonder how many people do know. Well, it is busy and some stalls sell out of produce by mid/late morning. Same with the Otley one which is even busier (but crammed into a smaller space). The Leeds one started out about 5/6(?) years ago as monthly but expanded into twice-monthly as it was so popular. It would be good if t could be incorporated into the daily market, but that would defeat the object as the stall holders would feel pressurised into producing stock rather than selling what's seasonal/available. Well thats great stuff,ill take a lokk myself.However such a market needs to be publicised,as a loiner who lives in Leeds im surprised ,and a little concerned that i knew nothing about it.I say concerned because i believe that such a market would appeal directly to a lot of people that live in the centre,and thus would ensure that local producers are kept in business.

Post by **chameleon** » Fri 20 Jun, 2008 10:45 pm

cnosni wrote: Tasa wrote: cnosni wrote: Tasa wrote: Kirkgate Market has a thriving farmers' market, every 1st and 3rd Sunday in the month. It's in the outside market. It does?Never even knew that,makes you wonder how many people do know. Well, it is busy and some stalls sell out of produce by mid/late morning. Same with the Otley one which is even busier (but crammed into a smaller space). The Leeds one started out about 5/6(?) years ago as monthly but expanded into twice-monthly as it was so popular. It would be good if t could be incorporated into the daily market, but that would defeat the object as the stall holders would feel pressurised into producing stock rather than selling what's seasonal/available. Well thats great stuff,ill take a lokk myself.However such a market needs to be publicised,as a loiner who lives in Leeds im surprised ,and a little concerned that i knew nothing about it.I say concerned because i believe that such a market would appeal directly to a lot of people that live in the centre,and thus would ensure that local producers are kept in business. I think it has been featured fairly often in the paper over the years its been going cnosni and details with a calendar are under 'markets' on the LCC website.

Post by **chameleon** » Fri 23 Apr, 2010 12:57 pm

Consequences coming from transforming the market are in the news again though this time the talk is of money to improve rather than of the proposed rebuild/revamp - maybe that 'only way to go' idea went with the Harewood sector postponementYEP (bits edited-out for tyke bhoys sanity) articleLeeds Kirkgate Market 'faces ruin in five years'Historic Kirkgate market in Leeds could close in the next five years.The shocking prediction comes as pressure mounted on council bosses to give more support to the market amid fears for its future.The call for more help came as one councillor warned: "The market is in a state of crisis." Now a campaign group called Friends of Leeds Kirkgate Market has joined the fight for its future.Megan Waugh said: "The council needs to seriously change how it manages the market because if they don't and it continues this way, five or 10 years down the line it will be practically empty and it will close."Long regarded as one of the city's key attractions, the market continues to make £1m a year for the council.But battling against the recession and with 15 per cent of stalls empty, traders and councillors say urgent action is needed to breathe new life into the Victorian market.A deputation from the Leeds branch of the National Federation of Market Traders put their case for more support to a full meeting of Leeds council.Spokeswoman Jo Williams said: "The market has been declining for the last 20 years. People are paying high levels of rent for sub-standard conditions."She claimed not enough of the £1m surplus was spent improving the market.She called on the council to headhunt an expert in running and revitalisiing markets, offer rent reductions, invest more and reduce charges at car parks close to the market.Ms Williams said: "Time is not on our side. It needs to be rebuilt into the market flagship it once was and can be again."In a later debate on the issue, Coun Mark Dobson (Lab, Garforth and Swillington) said: "The market is in a state of crisis. I sense genuine fear among traders for their livelihoods."Councillor Andrew Carter, council leader, said £250,000 would be spent on the market this year.He acknowledged the need for an advertising campaign and pointed out the council had introduced a number of relief and business support schemes to help traders and others.Coun Barry Anderson (Con, Adel and Wharfedale) said claims that more and more stalls were closing were misleading: over the past 12 months 39 new traders and set up in the market while 37 had left.The council agreed a resolution that said it would do all in its power to encourage growth in Kirkgate Market.But Liz Laughton, who chairs the Leeds branch of the National Federation of MarKet Traders, said: "I don't think they grasp the problem. It's unfair that long-standing traders pay high rents while people coming in are offered free rents. When the free rents come to an end those people disappear."

Phill_dvsn · Post by **Phill_dvsn** » Fri 23 Apr, 2010 1:38 pm

To be honest this doesn't surprise me at all. I think Leeds market is one thing that betters other Cities. It is one of (or was) one of Leeds best known attractions, it is known to outsiders of Leeds. People do visit Leeds for the market. So i guess that just won't do at all. The City Fathers must make ammends by driving it into the ground, and doing away with that little jem too lol This isn't a new thing, It seems to have had the stall holders up in arms for the last 10 years at least. On the up side it will make a great place to explore when it's dusty, empty, and closed