Rayleigh antiques fair halted over council-run venue concerns

Trevor Cornforth has arranged antiques fairs at The Mill Arts & Events Centre for 25 years

An antiques fair organiser said he had cancelled events at a council-run venue for 2024 because he was not confident it would be available.

Trevor Cornforth said he had used The Mill Arts & Events Centre in Rayleigh, Essex for 25 years.

But it was recently closed due to a fire alarm fault and Mr Cornforth said he was worried about losing money if events were cancelled.

Rochford District Council said no fairs had been affected by the repairs.

The centre contains a main hall for large events, plus a bar lounge area and a meeting room, although the cafe is not currently open.

The antiques fair once attracted about 1,400 visitors a day but footfall has now dropped to about 400

"It's the only large public hall in the area, it's right smack in the middle of Rayleigh," Mr Cornforth, owner of Hallmark Antiques Fairs, told the BBC.

"It's friendly, lots of local people come along, it's within walking distance for many people - it was a social hub."

But he said footfall had dropped from a peak of 1,400 a day to about 400 and he was unsure how often the centre would be available.

"I'm not prepared to lay out lots of money on advertising which I could then lose if an event has to be cancelled," Mr Cornforth added.

Ann Forbes has sold ceramics, jewellery and glassware antiques at The Mill for more than five years

Ann Forbes, who has sold ceramics, jewellery and glassware antiques at The Mill for more than five years, said the closure of the cafe at the centre had hit sales.

"People know there's not a cafe there now, so there are a lot less people coming in," Ms Forbes told the BBC.

The council said it spent about £340,000 a year operating The Mill centre.

In the past six months, it has refurbished the two bars, as well as investing in a new stage, furniture and power sockets. Future work is also planned on improving the flooring and lighting.

The council said while the centre was recently closed due to the fire alarm fault, no scheduled antiques fairs were booked during that time.

The council said it "tries to work with organisers to support their events"

"We know how valued events like the antiques fair are, not just for our residents, but also for visitors who travel around for similar events," a council spokesperson added.