Market could become Asian bazaar

Mike Keegan

August 08, 2009

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A HISTORIC Oldham market could be turned into an Asian bazaar because of a slump in customers.

Tommyfield Market has stood for 150 years and is known as the birthplace of fish and chips.

But officials say it has fallen on hard times in recent years due to a lack of investment.

Now Oldham council is considering turning it into a specialist Asian market as part of a £500,000 revamp.

Regeneration boss Coun Mohib Uddin said the town was losing out because many of its Asian community travelled to Bradford for some goods.

He said the proposal was one of a number being considered.

"We will be turning it into a specialist market because that will bring in people from far and wide," he said.

"It could be an Asian market, a farmers' market or an antiques market. It might also be a combination of the three or have different markets on different days."

Coun Uddin said he wanted to recreate the market's `glory years'.

He explained: "About 25 years ago, when I was a child, my dad used to take me there religiously and it was packed. Sadly that is not the case any more."

The plans will see stalls ripped out and replaced by portable gazebos that will be taken down at night to prevent anti-social behaviour.

Some of the brick units at the back of the market will also make way for additional parking.

The revamp includes plans to introduce a street market nearby.

Coun Uddin said pavement stalls should be in place on Albion Street by Christmas. They will sell a variety of items.

"They will only be given a licence if they are selling high quality goods," he added.

The council has already met market traders and Coun Uddin revealed there had been a `positive' response.

"We'll be meeting them again and of course we'll listen to what they say," he said.

"This is aimed at reinvigorating the market which has been pretty much ignored for the last 20 years."

The plans will also see money spent on the markets in Royton and Shaw.

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petan, openshaw (08/08/2009 at 10:40)

why not do what ashton does. They have a farmers market once a month and every sunday the market is used by car booters.which is always full and 1 day a week its a flea market. But if market traders sold at the right prices that would help I can get the same item that is £2 cheaper in a nearby Wilkinsons.

Angie33 , Manchester (08/08/2009 at 11:16)

petan.Agree with you there.Also many clothing stalls sell the same things that are far cheaper in town.I recently bought cling film and tin foil for 1£ each at a stall.Neither of them could be unrolled without ripping as both had a blob of glue on them to hold the edge that had gone right through.Got same thing from 1£ shop.perfect.Cheese on display mouldy.No gloves when serving cooked meats,then handling money,yuk.Markets have got what they deserved.No customers if they cant get it right and respect people.They have worked on the principle that' theres one born every minute'for so long they dont know how to change.Adjust or die.Many people cant afford to waste money.

Pippa, Manchester (08/08/2009 at 11:21)

Funnily enough we were prompted to visit Tommyfields last week after hearing this story on the BBC. Yes,the market is in dire straits but as for making it into an Asian market - at least half of the stalls already on there were selling Asian goods and food so I really can't see that permanently transforming the rest is going to make that much difference. The whole of Oldham town centre was very quiet shopper wise, not just the market. It is a sign of the times we are in. However, I do think that a regular themed market (European, Asian, West Indian, Polish etc etc) could bring in more trade, perhaps a different venture every other month with a regular monthly farmers market and as Petan suggested, a weekly flea market on a Sunday?

Zimmerman, manchester (08/08/2009 at 12:11)

It all started when rents on these stalls started to go higher and they made market traders register.Tommyfield market has survived a hundred years but its taken less than five years to go downhill.The same goes for other markets ,grey mare lane,newton heath,gorton .Its a EU idea no doubt.

meldroo, Oldham (08/08/2009 at 14:46)

Flea markets and car boot sales have been held on Oldham market for years, but this council has deliberately diminished the popularity of the market in favour of it's beloved Spindles shopping centre!The same can be said of Yorkshire street shops, given over to provide fast food joints for the drunken louts at weekend.Ten years ago the market was thriving, then five years later, up went the rents and traders moved to Ashton and other markets. I know because I have seen them there. As for an Asian bazaar-well that would be bizarre,but possible with this council!

steve wilson (09/08/2009 at 09:16)

yes an asian market is a perfect example of how integration works in this country!

Zimmerman, manchester (09/08/2009 at 11:51)

Why a asian market why not a russian market or a victorian market it seems that everything in britain is slanted towards "Asians".We are becomming another asian country.whatever happened to britain.

Tarby, South Manchester (09/08/2009 at 12:09)

I thought Oladam market was an Asian bazzar, as there is already an Asian bazaar on Dickenson Road

john davis, Broughton, Salford (09/08/2009 at 16:48)

Oldham already is an Asian Bazaar, might as well make another part of it Asian, I dare anyone at Oldham Council to say lets have an English section with fish and chips, roast beef and yorkshire pudding, english bitter and lager, Union Jack flags and the cross of st george flags flying, £british pound (no eoros) weigh everything in pounds and oz's, measure everything in inches, there would be uproar from the minority groups why I cant understand after all England belong to England or does it?!!!!!

john davis, Broughton, Salford (09/08/2009 at 16:50)

Ashton market got messed up years ago by the bungling twits on the council, they have managed too in their expertise manner to completely dispose of Denton Market. Ask Tameside council how many years free business rates did IKEA get when they moved to the town. I heard it was at least 2 possibly 3.

citycentre, manchester (09/08/2009 at 23:05)

"whatever happened to britain" nothing but its people decided some years ago they prefered to shop in supermarkets rather than at old style market stalls.
"I dare anyone at Oldham Council to say lets have an English section with fish and chips, roast beef and yorkshire pudding, english bitter and lager"
I would be amazed if any of these are not available in Oldham

bootty (09/08/2009 at 23:19)

So Mohab Uddin want,s tommyfields market to be an asian bazaar does he?well if he had taken the trouble to have a walk round the place lately he would find it is practically that already.Ninety per-cent of the stalls are asian run and the surrounding streets are the absolute pits full of rubbish and flotsam and jetsom. you don,t have to have a degree to see why people are staying away!!!!!!!!!!!

chillbill, oldham (10/08/2009 at 08:16)

Why not lower the rents for a period of time to encourage more traders.

Zimmerman, manchester (10/08/2009 at 12:36)

chillbill, oldham
Because the council want to change it to a asian bizzar?That is why the rents wont change but once its changed to a bizzar just watch the rents fall.

SamV, Manchester (10/08/2009 at 13:47)

I've been to Oldham Market once, stayed about 10 minutes. Only positive thing out of it was the hammer and chisel I picked up for £3 and the fact that I gave my car park ticket (still with 2 hours 50 minutes on it) to a grateful nurse.
The market itself was an absolute disgrace, run down and a very very poor collection of stalls. Most of the market was actually empty, and this was a weekend
Its clear that the market is not only struggling to attract shoppers but also the stall holders to sell the things that people want to buy.
A rebranding and refurbishment will help in getting more people in and hopefully extend the life of the market for another 150 years.
In its current condition I'd be suprised if it was still there in 5

Andanotherthing, Mcr (10/08/2009 at 16:02)

Councils run markets very badly they do not like them at all. Bury is just about the best left in the northwest, but not a true market place anymore. Manchester has destroyed every single one. The City centre needs a true and propper market place especially for food.

red one (10/08/2009 at 16:22)

The market should be open to all traders irrespective of there cultural background. We hear that we should be a multicultural society and to favour one group above the others would in my mind could be considered racist. Should this happen I will be applying for a stall and should I be refused for not being asian I will take legal action on racist grounds.
I think the large asian community in Oldaham has enough (asian only) businesses and the white English business community is in decline. The council should address this problem and ensure that all traders have a fair playing field. Furthermore any market trader leaving there rubbish behind on markert day should be refused a stall and charged for its removal. This cost should not be passed on to the council tax payers.

citycentre, manchester (10/08/2009 at 20:01)

I think the MEN has miseld somewhat with its headline here, afterall the councillor says
"t could be an Asian market, a farmers' market or an antiques market. It might also be a combination of the three or have different markets on different days"
rather different to having a plan for an Asian bazar.

Maybe councils should be forced to sell off the sites of their markets, either as comercial property, or as a co-op owned by the stall holders? If they are doing such a bad job

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