ENNIS FARMERS' MARKET HINDERED BY TOWN COUNCIL

This weekend, the supposodly French Market is in town. So plenty of overpriced sugary gak for the nippers, plenty of plastic toys, and a few nice jumpers from Peru. Well it is the french market after all!

They've had all their signs up, they will have plenty of cooperation from the council- they will even have the site upon which the farmers' market usually sits. Who knows - maybe they will even have electricity provided.

Nothing like this sort of treatment exists for the Ennis farmers' market, the weekly market on each Friday...

(pic: me winning a hamper in a draw last year at the Ennis farmers market!)

Dave Smith is a cheese monger who sells cheeses exclusively from Clare and adjoining counties at Ennis Farmers' Market. He is also chair of the market. While there are now over 20 stallholders and business is solid, the market is being impacted negatively by Ennis Town Council, according to Smith:

�We've been asking for some basic facilities for years, but we're just banging our heads against a brick wall when it comes to the town council�.

Hot water, electricity, the space they trade in and advertizing are four key areas Smith claims the council have hindered the development of the market.

�Every one of these has been a no go� according to Smith. Smith points out that there is an electricity point located exactly where the market is, which is used for the Christmas lights. However, the council have refused to allow the market to use this. �The most frustrating thing is that at another market I sell at, in this county, the council go out of their way to provide electricity�.

This then leaves stallholders in the awkward situation of considering generators: �They are smelly, noisy, bad for the environment, but if we want electricity, that's what we have to do.�

�We have been asking for years for a source of hot water� Smith continues. �This would be really helpful for hygiene reasons, but up until last year, we're been stonewalled. When we came back in spring, a completely inappropriate cold water tap had been put in nearby, without any consultation with us. Its OK for people wanting to water plants, but those of us wanting hot water, its no use at all�.

An irony here is that stallholders and hassled on health and safety grounds to have hot water.

Smith also pointed out that the market had been fined for roadside signs whereas other markets across the country and indeed county have not, and indeed have been supported in their use of roadside signs.

�They charge us a rent for using the car park space we're in, but won't even put up a sign the night before the market saying 'no overnight parking'. It can be a nightmare on Friday mornings, we just don't know what vehicles will be here.�

�They've cited bylaws, and their written conditions for us using the car park are that we can't stop anybody using it. And yet, the trading bylaws also say that we can't be hindered in pursuit of our business. So there's a conflict between the bylaws between parking and trading rights. As usual, there has been zero response to the letter to the council on this�.

Zero response is also what I got when I asked Ennis Town Council for a representative to interview about the farmers' market.