Problems of a Sunday market

WE were very surprised to read (February 7) that there are proposals in hand for a weekly Sunday Market to take place in Bridge Street, The Quay and on St Ives Bridge, and that the first market is due to happen on May 6. This is the first we have heard of such proposals, and it seems odd, and somewhat discourteous, that the town centre manager has not thought of consulting the residents of The Quay and Wellington Street before proceeding with his plans. Have shop owners in Bridge Street been consulted?

Should such a market take place in these areas, he has presumably already thought of the matter of access to The Quay and Wellington Street for residents and their visitors.

Although there can be vehicular access down Chapel Lane (the bollard can be removed), this has been allowed to become a car park, industrial bin and beer storage area for the Oliver Cromwell pub, and in any case is not suitable for two-way traffic from and into Wellington Street.

Other concerns we have are that the emergency services use St Ives Bridge to exit the town, and that there are no public toilet facilities in this area.

We already have a perfectly good market place in the town. St Ives is used to the Monday market and other visiting markets, with good car parks within very easy reach. Why did he not propose using the existing market arrangements?

People who visit St Ives Bridge and The Quay at weekends like to sit, relax, feed the swans and ducks and watch the river go by. Do they want to have the hustle and bustle of a street market and entertainers?

We are not against the idea of such a market, but urge him to re-think the implications of its location.

Dr GEORGE SMERDON and Mrs DEE SMERDON, The Quay, St Ives

* THE view of many is that the new planned market should be held on the Market Hill - hence the name - not close Bridge Street ("Town to set out its Sunday Stall," February 7).

Why do so many visitors come to St Ives? Because the town is unspoilt. Not every one likes hustle and bustle. St Ives has something unique: why spoil it?

What are the implications for the residents who live along the Quay and Wellington Street as the closure of Bridge Street will mean these townsfolk will be unable to leave their properties in their cars from early morning until evening.

The closure of Bridge Street will mean people who shop at West End on a Sunday will not be able to purchase heavy goods and load straight into their cars. Trolleys will have to be trundled some distance to car parks. This will encourage more people to shop at the larger stores in Huntingdon.

The town could see the closure of another shop. Since Christmas three shops have closed, and what a loss it would be to the town should West End close.

During the week more than 85 per cent of the people who visit the town use the toilet facilities in the Free Church. This is a service provided by the members of the church, without grant aid by either the town council or HDC. On Sundays the church is open for only two hours for the Sunday service. Could this mean more urinating in the streets?

Bridge Street and the town bridge are used by the fire and rescue service for all calls south of the river. This closure would mean on Sundays that the fire engine would have to negotiate all the back streets to the bypass. Ultimately this would take a lot longer.

Has every shop in Bridge Street been approached with this idea? Have these shops agreed to open on Sunday - seven days a week? Has every resident who lives along The Quay and Wellington Street been written or spoken to? Are arrangements in place should an emergency occur in these streets? Has the fire and rescue service agreed to change its route every Sunday for calls south of the river? Is this a roundabout way to pedestrianise Bridge Street, to have all deliveries before 10am and after 4pm. Who will pay for the extra delivery charge? Who else but the shops, passed on to the customer?

PEGGY SEAMARK, Victoria Terrace, Hemingford Grey