Marlborough is a Market Town. Or is it still?

When anyone mentions or attempts to describe Marlborough the words ‘Market Town’ frequently follow in the same sentence as this is what the town is and always has been. It’s even written clearly on the new Town entry signs that have just been installed. But last Saturday, 22 March, what was there?

The market stretched for barely a third of what used to be the busy norm a while back. The regular and important fruit and veg stall was there, a few others, spaced out in a leisurely line down towards Waitrose, gaps between and the final stall (knife sharpening van) eight parking spaces down from the gap in the spaces, which is regarded as the end of the Market stretch. Once, not long ago all available spaces would be taken, crammed together and offering those wandering and enjoying the market an attractive and diverse range of choices to buy, as well as what was needed.

This isn’t a new issue. Marlborough.news has covered this before, on numerous occasions – in June last year, April before that , and also for the survey run by the Town Council into what people wanted.

But what’s happened – not a great deal and the size / state of last Saturday’s market is a sad indictment of lack of progress.

One issue is Wiltshire Council. The market area and market itself is run by that Council. If Marlborough Town Council were to take this responsibility back, Wiltshire would lose the scraps of parking income they would take from those spaces on Saturday and Wednesday mornings – as well as the charges made to traders – and likely load those completely on to the Town Council. Do we know this for sure? No, but when this has been raised this issue of parking revenue / trader’s charges has always been a sticking point. At present Wiltshire get income from parking if no – or few – traders turn up, and the income from traders themselves so for the Council, it makes little difference as to whether Marlborough has a good and thriving market on Wednesdays and Saturdays, or nothing at all.

Members of the Town Council are very concerned about the market as it is synonymous with Marlborough, it’s a part of the town.

Mayor Kym-Marie Cleasby told Marlborough.news: “I am deeply passionate about revitalising our markets and ensuring they thrive. Right now, I’m working with the Markets Working Group—made up of Councillors, traders, and community members—to develop a plan that focuses on what Marlborough can achieve independently of Wiltshire Council. I’m running for Wiltshire Council because I believe I can have a greater influence from both the town and county levels. While the question of whether the market remains under Wiltshire Council won’t be resolved overnight, what matters now is collaboration between both councils to secure its future. This is why I firmly believe that any Wiltshire Councillor should also serve as a town councillor—to bring a unified, local voice to the table.”

Ironically with the description of Marlborough as an ‘historic market town’ on the newly sited entry signs to the town, the word ‘market’ we hope won’t get consigned specifically to the adjective ‘historic’ and become just that – part of Marlborough’s former history. The market should also be part of Marlborough’s future.