In the market for new ideas

Deputy Mayor, Coun Adrian Snookes is heading up a drive to inject new ideas and investment into the market place and in turn mutually benefit surrounding shops and businesses with increased footfall.

This has involved getting local business people on board, including Nigel Gresham of Digital Creations, who is providing banners and marketing material for free.

Mr Gresham said: “The market is at the heart of Sleaford and always has been. Adrian is very passionate about it and we have offered to lend our support to promote it.”

Coun Snookes added another proposal from next month is to launch a ‘buy one, get one free’ offer to stall holders who book a pitch to get their next day’s pitch for free - potentially halving their monthly costs. He hoped it would attract more traders and in turn more customers to visit the increased variety.

He added: “Organised events like the St George’s Market gained good footfall. We want to do different themed markets such as French and bric-a-brac.”

Another aspiration is to get a pedestrian crossing outside Bristol Arcade for safer access to the market, benefitting surrounding businesses too.

Trader Ian Johnson added: “We want to package it in a positive way to make it a destination and community hub, that way the market will continue to thrive. There has been no shortage of traders come and go in the last two years. Yes things are challenging nationally, but we have to adapt.”