A confectionery seller has been forced to stay on the market for more than 20 years after being “rebranded” by the city council.
Kevin Hilliard has been told by Saxmundham Council that he must vacate his property in the Suffolk town.
Ms Hilliard arrived at her property to set up her pick-and-mix stall on March 6 when she received two letters from the town council.
The first letter detailed the restructuring of the market, and the second letter was addressed directly to Mr Hilliard, asking him to vacate the premises by March 27th.
Kevin Hilliard’s pick-and-mix stall has been on the market for 24 years
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His daughter Michaela Kelly said the second letter said the council could not support his candy stall because of its focus on fresh produce. The city council has announced that it is considering rebranding its weekly Wednesday market event to ‘Fresh Food on Flåmsplatz’.
Mr Kelly said: “His sweet stall has been a staple of this market for many years and has brought joy to countless local residents. “This decision by the town council not only affects my father, but also our community. “It also affects social traditions and loyalties.”
“It’s clear that many residents value what they can get at the weekly market, including my father’s pick-and-mix sweets stall.”
She launched a petition to save the stall, which had 998 signatures as of Tuesday.
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Saxmundham City Council said it was considering rebranding the event.
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Mr Hilliard told the Telegraph: “I don’t think that’s a wise decision. It’s people’s own choice whether to buy sweets or not.”
“I don’t feel like the residents of Saxmundham are being given a say in what they want from the market because I can see the level of support for me by looking at my social media posts. I am completely blown away by the level of
A spokesperson for Saxmundam City Council said they were looking at ways to revive the market, which had been depressed for some time due to a drop in tourists.
He added that the business was at risk of closing if steps were not taken to protect its future, and that the Wednesday event was not as popular as the monthly Saturday market.
A council spokesperson said: ‘The move towards fresh food markets was taken by councilors in the face of very real concerns that weekly markets in their current form are unsustainable. In other words, fresh food markets are on the brink of closure due to poor customer traffic.” .
“In an effort to support the weekly market, stall fees have been waived, giving all traders access to free service for several years. We have rebranded the weekly market with a focus on fresh produce, The decision to change direction was not a quick one. An easy decision.
“This decision was taken after many months of careful consideration between councilors, local businesses, market traders and the public.”
