Traders: Tell us about Pitsea market plans (From Basildon Recorder)
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Pitsea market traders: We want to know development plans
8:00am Tuesday 10th January 2012 in Echo News By Paul Offord
On the move? Pitsea Market
TRADERS whose shops and restaurants could be demolished to make way for the £30million Pitsea town centre redevelopment say they are being kept in the dark about the plans.
London and Cambridge Properties has applied to Basildon Council to build six new shops and a Morrisons supermarket and demolish the old Railway Hotel in the High Road to provide a new site for Pitsea market.
A row of shops behind the present market site, including the popular Castaways restaurant, would also be knocked down, along with the Aldi supermarket and Pitsea swimming pool.
A second row of shops overlooking the market, including Jes Beauty Salon, might also have to go, although the developer has yet to make a decision.
Several traders are angry the developer has not explained its plans to them.
Funke Owoade, 34, manager of Jes Beauty Salon, said: “The first we knew about these plans was reading about them in the Echo.
“We thought they would come and talk to us, but they didn’t. It is sad they want to treat the shopkeepers like this.”
Kevin Eva, 34, works for the Pitsea Motor Company, a family-run used car dealer, based in the High Road, which also faces demolition.
He said: “We haven’t received any letters from the developers. We weren’t even told about the public meeting on the plans.
“My dad only found out about it through his dentist. It’s terrible because I thought I would work here for the rest of my life.”
Mr Eva has received a letter from Basildon Council inviting him to submit his views on the plans by the end of the month and plans to object.
However, Nick Burgess, of London and Cambridge Properties, said: “The details of what we plan to do are all set out in the planning application.
“The redevelopment of Pitsea town centre has been spoken about for a long time. Now it is up to councillors to decide whether they support what we want to do.”
The council has yet to announce when it will be voting on the proposals.
Comments(5)
VANGE LES
says...
2:00pm Tue 10 Jan 12
streetboy75 wrote:You're only talking about the market.
knock it all down and start again, its a tip, market is rubbish anyway, same old stuff there every week, less and less stals there every saturday, bring on the renivation
The redevelopment plans cover knocking down about half of Pitsea town centre, and replacing all of that with Morrisons and 6 other shops.
Dangerous D
says...
2:01pm Tue 10 Jan 12
streetboy75 wrote:I have to agree with Streetboy, Pitsea is a tip and always has been ,although they plan a £30million regenerate, the same sort of people will go there and therefore it will become a tip. Bulldoze the market down and turn it into a tesco, this will generate jobs and boost the economy.
knock it all down and start again, its a tip, market is rubbish anyway, same old stuff there every week, less and less stals there every saturday, bring on the renivation
streetboy75
says...
8:39pm Tue 10 Jan 12
VANGE LES wrote:no knock the whole lot down and start again, its old, run down, needs a new bit of life and a Morrisons would give Tesco a run for its money too.
streetboy75 wrote:You're only talking about the market.
knock it all down and start again, its a tip, market is rubbish anyway, same old stuff there every week, less and less stals there every saturday, bring on the renivation
The redevelopment plans cover knocking down about half of Pitsea town centre, and replacing all of that with Morrisons and 6 other shops.
Kissy1234
says...
10:32pm Wed 11 Jan 12
The market looks so bad with no stalls as this is the doing of Charfleets the market owners, they charge ridiculous rates for the stalls, if you chose to be a regular trader like my dad you have to pay top price for your pitch, they do nothing to help traders out, or try to improve the market, the reason there are no stalls are because its just far to expensive! Charfleets are not bothered about pitsea market only there other markets dagenham etc.....
One thing i will say is that my dad has so many regular customers who would be sad to see him go aswell as other traders. And its a shame that a market that has been going for so many years would just dissapear. Or if it does only go to 70 stalls my dad will need 7 of them to fit this stock, aswell as other larger regular stalls, so i wonder wether this will actualy work.
I think the improvments would be great and yes it makes more jobs for people in the area, but by doing that they will be wrecking lives of the business owners from the shops and market.
I 100% agree with pitsea needed a makeover it does look run down and isnt that pleasing to the eye.
I have to add how freindly the people are in pitsea and that not coming from the area, the people are alot more welcoming!
I will end on this, most of the people that come down the market are elderly and have been coming to pitsea market all there lives, im sure they would prefer to see the market and local shops resturants etc, benefit from these changes, i agree a morrisons would be great for the area but i still think there should be prioritys when it comes to local business people.
streetboy75 says...
12:06pm Tue 10 Jan 12