It's proving to be fruitful

I’m not generally in favour of recycling press releases as blog and news items – I generally leave that kind of thing to the likes of the Express & Star, but I received this press release from Dan Slee at Walsall Council yesterday and thought it worth sharing. Remember, we need to support the market or we’ll lose it for good. I realise this is a bit late but work has had me a tad busy of late…

Delighted Walsall Council bosses are celebrating after they have expanded the capacity of a popular market after just one week of trading.

Brownhills market will benefit from 5 additional trading pitches just a week after it was relaunched. The move takes the market to a total of 80 stalls and 15 trading pitches and comes into effect on Saturday September 12.

Councillor Adrian Andrew, Walsall Council deputy leader, paid tribute to the people of Brownhills who have supported the venture. He said: “We’ve listened closely to what people have been saying. It’s clear that there is a massive demand for a market in Brownhills.

“The opening week has exceeded all expectations. On the first Saturday the opening day there was around 4,000 people. That’s great news in these difficult economic times and even better for the 80 or so people that can be working at the market. It’s even better that we have gone from 10 to 15 trading pitches from Saturday.

“It’s clear that we have hit the ground running but we all realise that we are here for the long run and it will take a lot of hard work.”

The new market in Silver Street runs on Tuesday and Saturday and replaces a privately-run market that stopped earlier in the year. Stall holders who paid out for stalls on the first day but did not attend have been replaced from a waiting list of traders. Trading standards officers have vowed to keep a close eye on the quality of goods.

Pirate DVDs and fake designer goods will not be tolerated, they say.

For more information about markets in Walsall contact 01922 721139, email marketadmin@walsall.gov.uk or log on at www.walsall.gov.uk.