Plans for a market in Hale appear to be at an end after Trafford Council said it would not be supporting the bid.
Mark Jackson and Daniel Killoran had unveiled a plan in December to set up Hale Artisan Market (HAM) for existing shop-holders and other local traders, with a pilot Sunday market in April and Ashley Road a potential site.
The idea had been criticised by the organisers of Altrincham Market, who said a competing market could “undermine” its progress and “knock it off course”.
It now seems that the bid was doomed from the start, as Altrincham’s 725-year-old royal market charter does not allow another market to operate within six and two-thirds miles of Market House.
And a spokesperson for Trafford Council said that factor, together with a need to protect the market it had invested £600,000 in last year, meant it could not support the HAM project.
The spokesperson said: “The Council has a contractual obligation to protect the Altrincham Market Charter. That means that there cannot be a market within a certain radius on historic market days.
“In addition, in view of the significant investment the council has made in Altrincham Market, it is important that the council supports it in getting fully established and therefore we would not, at present, support a competing market on non-qualifying market days.”
Below: Daniel Killoran (left) and Mark Jackson, the team behind Hale Artisan Market
Nick Johnson, the chief executive of Market Operations and the man behind the regeneration of Altrincham Market, said Hale needed to complement Altrincham Market’s success, not “ape” it.
He said: “Altrincham is an historic market town. Its market rights have been protected in law since 1290. Jointly with Trafford we are in the process of repositioning it to become the modern market town, a town of the highest quality that we can all be proud of and participate in.
“Both Market House and the ‘modern’ Altrincham markets are a statement of that intent. They are demonstrably popular, highly successful and are for everyone.
Below: Altrincham Market’s Nick Johnson
“Hale is a successful village in its own right, that has not suffered the same plight as its neighbour. It does not need to ape Altrincham’s success, it needs to complement it with its own abundant charm, opulence, and distinct appeal.”
We’ve asked the team behind Hale Artisan Market for a comment and will update this story if we receive one.
Market House is set to re-open next week after the New Year’s Eve fire that caused severe internal damage.
Update: Following comments from Altrincham Today readers, Trafford Council has subsequently admitted that the charter clause relating to an exclusion zone only applies to markets on Tuesday, Fridays and Saturdays. However, it reiterated that its “commitment is with Altrincham Market at this time” and “whilst it’s important to uphold the charter, we have invested significantly in the market and it’s therefore in our interest to support it whilst it gets established”.
It added that it had not yet received a formal proposal regarding Hale Artisan Market.
