To consider the role of markets in supporting the social impact and economic development of District Centres.

Dr Steve Millington from the IPM delivered a presentation on markets.  The main points and themes included:

• Footfall data from Gorton and Harpurhey which demonstrated the impact of the markets;
• That extending market opening hours correlated with increased footfall;
• The central role that markets could play in revitalising an area, including giving creative young people the opportunity to trade for little or no cost; and
• The opportunity to experiment at a low financial cost, for example seeing if a food market would be successful in an area with a limited food offer.

The Executive Member for Skills, Culture and Leisure emphasised the importance of markets to the vibrancy of district centres and that the markets needed to be relevant to that area and cater to the needs of the local community. 

Helen Power delivered a presentation on Levenshulme Market, of which she had been one of the founders.  The main points and themes included:

·         That the Council had piloted a market in Levenshulme in 2011 but that this had been financially unsustainable;

·         That local residents had subsequently worked with the South Manchester Regeneration Team to establish a community-led market as a social enterprise which had opened in 2013;

·         That this had been successful and had subsequently expanded;

·         That the market had aimed to help address the deeper economic issues in the area;

·         The Levenshulme Market Fund, which provided grants to people who wanted to make a difference to Levenshulme high street and that a report on the impact of this was available on the market’s website;

·         Work with community groups, including groups from black and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, to get them more involved in opportunities relating to Levenshulme Market;

·         Work to develop a High Street Health report for Levenshulme;

·         The key findings from the Social Value Report produced to assess Levenshulme Market’s first five years, which was available on the market’s website; and

·         The diversity of the market traders, including the number of women starting  micro-businesses.

The Neighbourhood Manager reported that it had been challenging at the beginning to develop a sustainable market in Levenshulme.  He informed Members that this had involved a lot of work from Helen Power and the other market directors and a small amount of investment from the council, in the region of £30,000 to £40,000, but that the risk had been worth it due to what had been achieved.  He advised that the Council should consider how it could empower local people to take risks.

The Executive Member for Housing and Regeneration reported that the Levenshulme night markets had provided a focal point and led to local people going out in Levenshulme rather than the city centre.

Helen Power reported that, through the market, an informal network of traders had developed which supported new businesses onto the high street.  The Chair commented that there were similarities between the work in Levenshulme and in Withington, in particular the partnership approach and local people driving change using their understanding of the area.

In response to a question from the Chair, Helen Power reported that she had only become aware that a footfall counter had been installed at a meeting approximately three months’ ago.  She informed Members that anecdotally traders would say that part of the reason they had chosen the area was the sense of community, demonstrated through the market, and the community of support amongst the traders.  She advised Members that Levenshulme Market was rooted in the place it represented, being run by and having traders from the local area and being sensitive to the needs of the local community.

The Executive Member for Housing and Regeneration advised that it was important to ensure that footfall data was being shared with relevant stakeholders.

The Head of Wholesale and Retail Markets informed Members about the Council-run Manchester Markets.  The main points and themes included:

·         That Manchester Markets operated as a business unit within the Council and ran the retail markets at Longsight, Gorton and Wythenshawe;

·         That there had not been any investment in the markets’ buildings and infrastructure for several years;

·         That the retail sector and markets were facing challenging times and that nationally market footfall had decreased;

·         That there had been a shift from traditional markets to markets offering food and services;

·         That markets supported local communities, acting as places for social interaction, facilitating community cohesion and inclusion, supporting areas’ distinctive characters, providing deprived areas with affordable and fresh produce and supporting traders;

·         That the Council had commissioned a consultancy company, Ekosgen, to produce a report on the social and economic impact of the three retail markets and that it was hoped that the report would underpin any requests for funding for the markets in future;

·         That business plans were being produced to develop and cosmetically improve the markets at Longsight and Gorton; and

·         That Wythenshawe Market faced additional challenges and that plans for the next five years were being discussed in relation to this.

The Chair commented that the benefits of the markets were not limited to the financial benefits for the Council as, for example, they could improve wealth distribution in the city.

The Executive Member for Housing and Regeneration asked whether there was a role for markets in meeting the needs of under-served communities.  The Head of Wholesale and Retail Markets advised that this would not necessarily be achieved through establishing a permanent market due to the costs of this but that it could be achieved in other ways, for example, by working in partnership with other providers of markets to provide ad hoc markets in those areas.  Helen Power advised that bringing in market stalls from elsewhere, for example through agencies, would miss the opportunity to add social value and keep money and employment within the local area.  The Chair commented that a larger market with more stalls would generate more interest and questioned whether a mixture of local stalls and those brought in from elsewhere was possible.  The Development Manager for Manchester Markets advised that markets were flexible and adaptable so a mixed approach could be used.

Dr Steve Millington advised Members that, while markets could be important drivers of footfall, the IPM’s Markets Matter report had found that there were some “dead” markets which had not adapted to the changing retail environment.  He suggested that regulations for markets could be eased, diversity improved and young entrepreneurs, who could not afford to open a shop, could be encouraged to trade on markets.  The Head of Wholesale and Retail Markets commented that setting up a market was not a panacea for everything and that there were challenges in attracting traders and creating a successful market.

In response to a Member’s question, the Head of Wholesale and Retail Markets reported that there were challenges with Wythenshawe Market and that Manchester Markets was currently subsidising this market.  She reported that Gorton Market was bucking current trends as it was still a traditional market but continued to be popular.  She outlined the improvements planned for Gorton Market, including night markets and evening events, and for Longsight Market, including a food market and new seating area.

The Chair commented that the partnership approach had been very successful in Levenshulme and could be emulated elsewhere, noting that some areas would need longer-term investment than others depending on the level of community engagement and local capacity.

Decision

To thank the guests for their contributions.