Market traders hit back over Mayor’s ‘tired, run down’ comment

The traders operating in Welshpool Town Hall have hit back at comments made by the Mayor that the market was looking “tired and run down”.

Cllr Phil Owen said at the recent Town Council Operations & Development Committee meeting that was discussing a recent exodus of traders that: “… it is just so tired, so run down and we don’t want to be replacing people that have had enough with people that are coming in that aren’t going to be any better, frankly.”

You can read that full story here .

But this afternoon, the market traders have told us that they were “extremely upset” by the comments and felt that the criticism “is an unprecedented and unsubstantiated attack on us and our stock”.

A statement issued to us by the traders said: “In essence, he told the town of Welshpool that we sell substandard goods and there is no point in shopping in the market as we are purveyors of rubbish.

“We truly feel that the least we can expect is a full and unequivocal apology from his worship the Mayor.”

“We would welcome a visit from his worship the Mayor to the Town Hall where he could see for himself the range of quality items available from the traders in Welshpool market.”

One trader told us that they had “already felt the backlash in lower footfall in the market”.

The Town Council is hoping to attract new traders to the market after several; had decided not to renew the contract.