Petition to save market attracts 600 signatures

Traders were told plans to redevelop Wolverhampton Wholesale Market redevelopment could be scrapped

Nearly 600 people have signed a petition set up by traders at Wolverhampton’s wholesale market who have been told it is facing potential closure.

The council is reconsidering plans to redevelop the area, because of "significant financial challenges."

The traders' petition calls for a new premises to be provided, should the existing site close.

City of Wolverhampton Council leader Stephen Simkins, stressed "no decision" had yet been made about the market's future, but the authority needed to make £32m of cuts for the next three years.

Council leader Stephen Simkins said the local authoritiy needed to "prioritise" the needy and vulnerable

“We need to prioritise the most needy and vulnerable within our city,” Mr Simkins said.

He told BBC Radio WM the market was currently working at 50% capacity and had lost £160,000 year-on-year.

“We cannot continue to lose money like that,” he said.

The local authority would need to reassess the market and every asset across the city to see where savings could be made, Mr Simkins added, with a decision on the market's future set to be made by the cabinet in November.

A meeting would be held with traders next week find alternative premises, he added.

“We will work extensively with the traders to find an alternative site."

Plant Market owner Sean Thomas said he was under the impression a new wholesale market would be built on the same site

Sean Thomas, who runs The Plant Market, said he was “gutted” - after traders were called to a meeting where they were told of the possible closure.

A new market had been included in original plans for the Brewers Yard regeneration scheme, which included demolition of the existing site for a new building.

“Hopefully there will be something put in place where we can stay on the site, or relocation, otherwise it’s finding a relocation ourselves, hopefully somewhere in the city," he said.

“I’ve spoken to one or two [traders],” he added. “This one trader is very upset, I know he’s been here for a very long time and we’re just going to have to fight it as best we can.”

'Supplies all of West Midlands'

Jeremy Thorpe, whose greengrocers Wardthorpe's Of Stourbridge uses the wholesale market as a supplier, said the site was “extremely important."

He said the market closure would have a "massive impact" on the likes of care homes and residential homes, as well as pubs and restaurants.

“It supplies most of the Stourbridge area and beyond and all of the West Midlands really with fresh fruits, salads and vegetables,” he explained.

“We deliver to a lot of people with underlying health conditions as well.”

Mr Thorpe described the amount of people who were fed by the wholesale market as “immeasurable."

“I really don’t think that the council has a grasp on really how much volume of food is actually distributed through that market," he said.