Issue - meetings

(A report by Phil Perry, Assistant Director - Culture and Leisure)

The Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Dale Broughton, presented a report by the Assistant Director – Culture & Leisure which provided an update on the Boston Market Development Plan, originally agreed at Cabinet on 27^th March 2024. The report outlined progress made during the first year of delivery and highlighted a number of key developments. The report provided an update on the four key objectives within the Boston Markets Development/Action plan, attached as Appendix 1, and an overview on how Boston’s regular Wednesday and Saturday markets had been performing.

Councillor Broughton outlined the progress made during the first year of implementation and highlighted several key developments:

·       Revised market and severe weather policies had been adopted from April 2025.

·       Market fees had been reduced across various categories to support trader engagement.

·       A successful capital funding bid of £47,750 had enabled the purchase of a new market vehicle, gazebos, and equipment.

·       Operational efficiencies had been achieved through a service review, resulting in a new store erector team and reduced contracted hours.

·       Debt recovery measures had been implemented for non-compliant traders.

·       Road closures had been introduced for Saturday markets, with consultations ongoing for Wednesday closures.

·       New events, including the Makers and Farmers Markets, had been launched and were proving successful.

·       Market occupancy had significantly improved, with near-full capacity achieved at recent events.

·       Social media engagement had increased, with the Facebook page surpassing 3,000 followers.

·       Promotional materials and branding had been refreshed, contributing to a more professional market appearance.

·       The Market Action Plan remained a live document, with 9 of 13 actions completed, 2 on target, and 2 requiring further work.

Members discussed the report and commented as follows:

·       The report and the work of the Markets Team were widely praised for their thoroughness and positive impact.

·       Members noted visible improvements in the market’s appearance and atmosphere, particularly during the Makers and Farmers Markets.

·       The increase in social media engagement and the revamped Facebook page were highlighted as key contributors to public awareness and footfall.

·       It was acknowledged that market occupancy had improved, with a recent event nearly reaching full capacity.

·       A question was raised regarding the target occupancy rate; it was clarified that while 100% was ideal, 70–80% was a realistic and positive goal.

·       The issue of footfall monitoring was discussed, with confirmation that new data collection methods were being explored to better understand visitor numbers.

·       The availability of free stalls for charities was discussed, with confirmation that this was being actively promoted and that a designated charity market day was planned.

·       Feedback from traders was generally positive, with most welcoming the changes and improvements, although it was acknowledged that not all were satisfied.

·       The potential for introducing a continental market was raised. It was confirmed that the Council remained open to external event proposals.

·       The integration of markets with local events and the broader benefits to town centre businesses were noted.

·       A technical query regarding the compatibility of the new payment system (Pay360) with existing systems was raised, with a written  ...  view the full minutes text for item 90

(A report by Phil Perry, Assistant Director – Leisure and Culture)

The Markets Manager presented a report which provided progress against the Boston Market Development Plan, as agreed by Cabinet on 27^th March 2024. He indicated that the report provided an overview on how Boston's regular Wednesday and Saturday markets had been performing and proposed actions for the further development of the service in order to deliver a sustainable market service and to become financially resilient.

The partnership annual delivery plan included two projects for the Boston Market Service to undertake during the 24/25 financial year which were to review the market's policy and to undertake a review of the market service with an aim to deliver savings, whilst also growing the service.

By way of an update, since the Environment and Performance Committee meeting on 13^th February 2024, a dedicated Markets Manager was now in place, across the partnership.

A successful capital funding bid of £47,750 had been made for the replacement van, gazebos and equipment. There had been a reduction in the store erector team and hours of operation in Quarter 3 and savings had been built into the 25/26 budget. Road closures had been introduced for Saturday markets following a consultation in Quarter 2. Final consultations were currently ongoing to apply for a road closure on Wednesday market days in Quarter 4. Markets had been integrated into events such as the Christmas Festival and the Boston College Food Festival.

Members noted that the teenage market events had continued to develop and had now been focused into eight months of the year instead of twelve, taking best practice from East Lindsey District Council, which ran a very successful teenage market programme. It had also recently been confirmed with the Portfolio Holder that there would also be charity stalls with the teenage market, as a pairing to bring more visitors for that day.

A new makers and farmers market would be held monthly between March and October, which had been created with the assistance of Councillor Suzanne Welberry and would begin in March 2025. Development of the social media presence, particularly on Facebook, had continued and was being expanded to other platforms such as Instagram and Google. The Boston Market Facebook page had been revamped with new content and an extensive number of local groups had now joined. Year on year from January 2024/25, there were 1410 views with an increase of 64.1%. New professional photos of the market had been taken, that had been posted on the Boston Market Facebook page, which had received fantastic feedback from followers and traders.

The new branded gazebos had been bought in readiness for a move to their introduction for the 2025/26 financial year, with new guttering having been ordered to enable traders to join the gazebos without their stock being damaged. The Markets Manager indicated that although Boston's pitch fees were similar to some of the markets in the area, they were considered high when local demographics were factored in. The proposal within the budget programme for 2024/25 was for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 88