Traders and shoppers speak out as town council to review future of New Milton’s Station Road market

Traders and shoppers highlighted the importance of New Milton’s weekly market as its town council operators review its future.

Costly fees and dwindling stall numbers were cited as concerns were raised over the viability of the Wednesday Station Road fixture, which has been in place since 2004.

A £1,860 annual payment to New Forest District Council for recycling unsold fruit and veg from the Barrett & Sons stall prompted discussion.

Town clerk Graham Flexman told a recent finance and general purposes committee meeting the stall contributed £30 per week.

But Cllr Steve Clarke commented the sum “doesn’t add up” and called for a rethink on this along with the market as a whole, which the council has run for 10 years.

“We still want to encourage the market, but we need to make a profit from the stalls,” he said.

“I reckon we’re losing £1,000 a year just by having the fruit and vegetable stall.”

Cllr Clarke also highlighted a current poor attendance by stall holders each Wednesday, saying Lymington and other areas were also struggling.

“I’m concerned whether this is a worthwhile venture,” he said. “I think it should be reviewed to see if we can make the market profitable.”

It was suggested a working party be set up to review the situation and the event’s future direction.

Reacting to this, stall holders and buyers at Wednesday’s market spoke of how much they valued it.

Billy Barrett is a boss of Barrett & Sons, which has traded at New Milton since the start.

He told the A&T: “We keep coming down here because we’ve got our regulars and we do good trade.

“Our regulars like the type of service you get with us which you don’t get in shops, where it’s just beep, beep, beep and off you go.

“Here you get to have a chat and a laugh.

“It’s our livelihood. Without New Milton, without our regular customers, we would not earn a living, we would not get the money to feed our kids.”

New Milton is the last place Charles McElwain trades with his Watches Direct stall, having retired from Boscombe market after 25 years.

“I would miss it tremendously if it went because it’s my last link to the old ways,” he said.

Louise Dickson travels from Portsmouth every Wednesday with her hosiery nightwear stall Lou’s Socks.

“I love it here – I like the people, I like the atmosphere,” she said.

“I love the drive through the New Forest to get here as well – it’s a great day for me.

“If the weather’s bad there’s no money in it at all, but that’s the same for any market really. But any other day I’d come here all through the year.”

One regular shopper, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I would feel disappointed if it ended. I would miss it, definitely.”

Fellow shopper Georgie Gosnold said: “I think the market’s quite central for the community and it’s good for the shops too.

“I think it adds a bit of local character, not to mention the chance to make local sales, which I think is vital.”

Nirvair Bhakar has run his Ladies’ Fashion stall in New Milton for 10 years, describing it as a “very affluent area”.

“This market gives me the oomph to carry on through the week,” he said.

“Every high street looks depressing anyway, but if you take the market away you’re just left with a load of empty shops and people thinking they should have stayed in Christchurch or Lymington.”