Market traders soldier on despite water leak

Published 17 Jan 2013 14:45 1 Comment

BRACKNELL market will remain open this Friday and Saturday despite water continuing to leak from the building above.

Steven Caplan, Bracknell Forest Council's chief officer for property, said the water leak is coming from the downpipe on the roof of Winchester House - also known as the old 3M building - and started last Friday.

As a result of the leak, traders had to shut up shop, however it was business as usual the following day (Saturday). Mr Caplan said: "There were concerns over public safety, particularly around water getting into the electrics, so we instructed an electrician to survey the situation, with the possibility of closing the market on health and safety grounds. "At the time they found there was no danger to public safety, so it was agreed the market could open on Saturday."

He added: "The council takes the protection of the public and market traders very seriously and so for this reason the council had to act fast and ensure the public were fully protected from any risk of potential harm. "The council continues to assess the situation and has been in touch with Comer Homes (the owner of Winchester House) to look into the issue."

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  hazelann70
  62 posts
  Jan 17, 15:48
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  So, the market was closed on Friday was it? Strange that I still had to pay rent and was serving customers. However, due to the council thinking they were being health and safety conscious, they posted on Facebook and Twitter (so I am told) that the market would be closed on Saturday. Trade was absolutely dire because of this comment and we traders weren’t informed about the apparent closure and yes, we still had to pay rent. It was one of our customers who told us the market was apparently closed on Saturday (it was Saturday when the customer informed us it had been posted on Facebook). It would have been nice if the traders had been told this rather than finding out from a customer. The irony is, for the last few years the market has leaked like a sieve yet the 2 days they decide to cripple our trade are the days the market was bone dry. I am perhaps very cynical but it seems rather convenient that suddenly, there is interest in health and safety when it’s not been an issue in the past. Is this so they can post more comments which then has a knock on effect with trade which in turn will kill all our businesses off? That way, there will be no market and the council don’t have to bother finding us somewhere else. You only need one person to read something and they then spread the word and before long, you have lost all trade. I would like to think that each time the council tell the community that the market is closed when it’s not, that we then need pay no rent. It cost me and many others money to open last weekend due to what went on and at this rate, I will have to close the cafe as it simply doesn’t make any money when trade is poor and I know for a fact that other stall holders feel the same.
  
  Why do we feel like this? Why are we so cynical? If the council don’t know then it just shows how much they actually care, listen or bother. We are given the occasional letter which we then have to read between the lines and come to our own conclusions. Why they can’t just be up front and honest with us I really don’t know. Everything is so cloak and dagger and we aren’t told anything. Not a week goes by when we all have our customers asking if we’ve heard anything and all we can say is “No”. I can see it now, the bulldozers will be lined up to get Winchester house down and it will then be mass panic because they haven’t bothered to liaise or help find an alternative location. Put all the stalls we have outside and most of us will go out of business. As I fear, this is what the council perhaps want. If not, prove it to us.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 7     No 7

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