Farmer's Market

[Ship called Dignity]

IF car parking is such an issue then why are the traders parking their cars in Campbeltown centre?

Do you never park your car at work?

Can't say NEVER but it is almost never as I don't get the bloody car!! (PS - I ain't the one moaning about lack of car parking... )

Point I was trying to make (without offending anyone) was alot of car parking in the town centre is taken up needlessly by people who work in the town centre, taking up spaces all day every day. Now if this is such an issue with traders then there is a start there.

[History]

Kinda getting away from the farmers market issue slightly but 2 or 3 years ago the police decided to enforce the half hour parking restrictions in Main Street and Longrow. (That is now 1 hour) The restrictions had always been there but not enforced by the the traffic warden.

The police then decided to start ticketing cars that had been there for more than half an hour. Prior to this the police had alerted shopkeepers to make sure they and their staff did not park illegally on the day that the traffic warden was to enforce this law.

Not one trader that I am of aware alerted any of their customers about this and more than one irate driver was caught out and fined that day. No traders or staff were caught out but a number of shoppers were fined.

Looking back as one of the unfortunate culprits who got fined that day I should have been alerted that something was up when there was ample parking to be had.

The police inspector at the time verified that the shopkeepers had been forewarned of the police's intention to enforce this parking restriction. He also verified that the public had not been informed, only the shopkeepers!!

[Malky]

the fact remains that Burnside carpark is for the public to park cars.

I always thought it was Burnside Square not Burnside carpark and it was supposed to be for recreational use.

Malky

[petewick]

If the Campbeltown Traders are so concerned about losing trade to a farmers' market once a month then why do they still have a half-day closing, once a week?

This is NIMBYism. Nothing more - nothing less.

I'm sure the farmers would have something to say if some one set up a stall selling
produce at one of their road ends.

Thats NIMBYISM

[westport321]

So.... do the market on wednesday afternoon

[chuckncherry]

So.... do the market on wednesday afternoon

Good point!!

[petewick]

Thats an excellent idea.

[witchnettle]

i think this is all too bad that the farmers can't get one day a month to sell their wares, produced locally, surely this is the way we should be going in this day and age, local produce that hasn't be flown thousands of miles to reach us. Although we will never reach the utopia that is complete self contained, self sufficiency surely it is better to make an attempt than not to.
it has been said "it is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness"

On a more practical level what about snipefield carpark or the call centre car park or the Grammar school car park. I know folks would have to drive there but it seems shoppers at the farmers market have been given no choice, the option of walking to the market has been removed by this bizarre decision.
x

[bill]

What if they were to hold it at the top end of the old Quay?

There's stalls erected there when the lifeboat has it's open day with no problems.

Not any distance to walk from Longrow/Main St..and ideal for any yachts moored at the pontoon.

[300968]

Do you not think that everyone should have access to parking outside their house? After all, us drivers pay a lot of road tax for our cars, if we don't get the benefits of good roads, surely we can have free car parking as close to our homes as possible. it is not only for a couple of hours that the cars have to be moved either. They have to be relocated the night before then brought back later on the Saturday - almost 24hrs. This means that there are a few spaces we can park in the town centre for this period and are probably taking up other spaces that may be denying the local traders of custom. I am not against the idea of the market as I frequently purchase from various stalls, but surely the heritage centre would provide a central site that would suit everyone.

[witchnettle]

hasn't it already been pointed out that the heritage centre has a dangerous pedestrian and vehicular access, perhaps that would be very restrictive in choosing it as a possible venue.
i do see your point, here in carradale (a rural village) parking outside your house is a major problem which is the cause of many huge arguments, it seems to me the only way to guarantee immediate parking outside your house is to have a driveway, otherwise there will always be an element of first come first served.
and the farmers market is only one day a month, don't they close it off to traffic at the music festival ( i may be wrong here, a distant memory is drifting in and out of my head !!!!) but if they do close it off at the music festival how does everyone manage then.
x

[300968]

My point exactly!! When the music festival is on, it can be a whole weekend that I am unable to park outside my house!!! I would gladly put in a driveway...only problem is that I don't have a garden to do so!! Burnside Square is my front garden!! I take your point about the parking and pedestrian access at the Heritage Centre, but is this not when our local constabulary could be a prominent pressence in the town and manage the situation. After all, it is only for 4 hours a month as you say.

[EileenH]

Why don't they have it on the esplanade? There would be plenty of parking spaces and loads of room to wander round the stalls. I've only been at it a couple of times but think it's a good idea to have it. Where else in the town can you buy venison or get fresh fish on a Saturday? It's not just Campbeltown that has this problem. My mum's here this week and commented on it saying that the farmers market has the same problems where she lives.

[Buzz Lightyear]

As far as i am aware the market were offered 5 alternate sites and turned them all down. They were even offered to host it on a Wednesday afternoon or a Sunday, they also turned this down. Also, not being controversial, but when we are saying 'local' produce how local do we mean?, Local to me on this would mean farmers within the kintyre area?? As far as i am aware their are only 2 local producers, Ifferdale and Inverloch cheese?

I can only remember 4 of the places that were offered and they were;

The Heritage centre
Aqulibrium Car park
the head of the old Quay
The ferry terminal car park area

[Tubby the Tuba]

nothing wrong with any of these listed above.