Trevor Bevins, Local Democracy Reporter.
Changes to Dorchester Market have been welcomed by both shoppers and traders, according to markets panel chair Cllr Molly Rennie.
“People are now full of praise for the market…it’s been good to hear the compliments” she told the October panel meeting.
The view was backed by panel member Cllr Roland Tarr who said, he too had been hearing positive comments.
“It’s very encouraging to hear that people are happy,” he said.
The feedback comes after Dorchester Town Council took over the management of the weekly Wednesday stall market at the start of the financial year from Wimborne-based Ensors. The council also now runs the weekly Sunday car boot sales.
Town records show that Thomas Ensor established the modern weekly market around 1860, possibly being involved up to a decade earlier.
The panel meeting heard that since the take-over both the weekly market and the car boot had been returning a surplus with the Wednesday market currently showing a positive balance of more than £19,000 and the car boot more than £15,800.
Markets officer Daryl Chambers told the meeting that despite heavy rain the market this week (Wed 7th) had been very busy – helped by the arrival of four tourist coaches, although operations had not been helped by several holes in the market area in the search for an underground leak which had now been found and repaired.
Mr Chambers said he had recently visited some other local markets – finding just one stall at Blandford and two at Poole, with Dorchester continuing to be busy with dozens of stalls each week, including new traders.
Cllr Rennie said the town council are pressing ahead with proposals to improve the market area with the help of local architects Crickmays, with a Masterplan expected to be ready before the end of the year.
She said solar panels were also being considered for the roof of the covered market with more efficient ways of dealing with waste being explored, although a push on recycling had cut items being disposed of by around 50per cent.
