Swindon Christmas Market Faces Strong Criticism from Residents

Residents have voiced significant criticism regarding a recently established Christmas market in the town centre. The Swindon Christmas Market, which commenced operations on November 23, has not achieved its expected visitor numbers, with numerous stalls frequently remaining shut and situated adjacent to vacant retail premises within the town centre. Fiona Scott, a PR expert and Swindon resident, expressed her concerns, stating, “I’m a huge ambassador for Swindon and have never moaned about the town centre but it was just so bad I feel we need to do something about this.” She added, “A half to two-thirds of the stalls are closed and only a couple sell products whilst the rest sell food and the overall effect is to drag the town centre down, it’s almost better not to have it.” Kate Andrews, proprietor of the market’s Yorkshire Pudding Wrap stall, remarked, “It’s shocking.” She elaborated, “We bought the chalet after being told that all plots had been sold and the market would be full but it’s not.” Andrews further noted, “We’ve lost money by being here and we’re not going to break even unless we take £5,000 before Saturday and that’s not including wages.” This year marks the inaugural occasion of the Christmas Market being held on The Parade. LSD Promotions, the managing entity, acknowledged that it had hoped for a “much stronger start to the new Christmas Market.” The organization further indicated that Storm Bert’s impact during the opening weekend “had a significant impact,” and the subsequent postponement of the town’s Christmas lights also contributed to a detrimental outcome. LSD Promotions stated that Storm Darragh hindered the market on its third weekend, and although businesses were provided with incentives to remain, “unfortunately for some traders, the impact of the storms resulted in their costs outweighing their potential revenue.” Although the market’s operation has drawn criticism, some observers contend that the underlying issues are more profound. Ms Scott, who on Monday published a Facebook post characterizing her visit to the market as “extremely depressing,” commented, “You can’t blame the market, you have to look at the whole context of the town centre.” She continued, “If half the shops are closed and the footfall is poor because of it then you’re fighting a losing battle.” Ms Scott concluded, “We’ve got to come together as a town with the various interested parties to do something about it. Others are doing it better, so why aren’t we learning from them?” Swindon Borough Council reiterated Ms Scott’s sentiments. Councillor Marina Strinkovsky, the cabinet member for heritage, art and culture at Swindon Borough Council, remarked, “It’s not as great as I would’ve liked it to be. There can’t be two views about that.” She affirmed, “I completely agree that the town centre is not where we want it to be.” Councillor Strinkovsky added, “However, what I would say is this is a first attempt, going to take the learnings and move forward to bigger and better things.” She concluded, “I empathise with the disappointment but if that’s the only chance they will give Swindon they will be missing out because we have plans, ambitions and visions for the town.” The Swindon Christmas Market will remain open until Saturday December 21. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.