Decision due to be made on future of Hartlepool weekly outdoor market
A decision on the future of Hartlepool’s weekly outdoor market is set to be made with council chiefs saying it cannot continue as it is.
The number of stallholders at the Thursday market has dwindled since the pandemic with “no signs of interest” from other businesses, says Hartlepool Borough Council which manages it.
The local authority says it has no dedicated officers allocated to the market, but is part of staff’s other duties, meaning there is no scope to grow the event.
A decision is due to be taken at the council’s Adult and Community Based Services committee on Thursday, November 7.
A report states: “The market is a long established fixture in Hartlepool, however it would appear that there is no longer a demand for the service.
"The number of traders has reduced and there are no signs of interest from other businesses in taking up the opportunity of a pitch.
"Furthermore the lack of income creates a pressure on the budget, and staff capacity is reduced as officers are spending time away from their main work, managing it each Thursday.”
The market is held 50 weeks of the year in the West Side Car Park behind York Road.
It is an amalgamation of two markets previously held independently, selling bric-a-brac, second hand goods and new goods including food.
But the council says there has been a decline in attendance since Covid and only 13 traders traders on average attend each week with the majority coming from outside the area.
There has also been a downturn in the variety of stalls with only one fresh food stall left.
Three options are on the table. The first is for the council to keep managing the market but to ask traders to dispose of waste at their own cost.
The second, being recommended to councillors, is to transfer it to an outside company, like others in the region, and who may be able to run the market more effectively.
The final option is to give traders notice of the intention to close the market.
The report states: "It is clear that the current status quo cannot continue as the market does not achieve its original aim of generating a viable income.”
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