Fruit and vegetable stall Lincoln Central Market facing eviction
The reason dysfunctional Lincoln City Council claim for evicting a fruit and vegetable stall from Lincoln Central Market is that it has got too big. Er, should we not be encouraging and supporting local family businesses, encouraging the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables?
I have not noticed any change in size of the stall, it is not obstructing any thoroughfares, but if it was a problem, that is a matter for discussion, not eviction.
The stall is not causing any problems to other stalls contrary to what City Hall Pinocchio claimed in The Lincolnite. If there was a problem, easily resolved or if need be go to arbitration. Not grounds for eviction.
The discussions claimed by Pinocchio, stallholders Beth and Steve claim have not taken place.
I have not noticed any change in size of the stall, it is not obstructing any thoroughfares, but if it was a problem, that is a matter for discussion, not eviction.
According to City Hall Pinocchio ‘failure to comply with our requirements to ensure we are able to run a safe market which is fair to all traders’.
How is the stall making the market not safe, how is it not fair to other traders?
There is no obstruction to thoroughfares, the stall is line with other stalls, thus cannot be too large either.
Unfair to other traders? The stall generates at least 80% of the market footfall, thus will hit other traders if evicted.
I have spoken with market traders and they are angry at the stall being evicted because they know the market will die. They also believe there is a hidden agenda to destroy the market and redevelop the site. But fearful of victimisation fear speaking out.
Forage and Fill only opened last week, they and the fruit and vegetable stall compliment each other. Without the fruit and veg stall they have have no future as the fruit and veg stall drives footfall.
When did these discussions take place, date, time, duration location? I trust Pinocchio took notes and gave a copy to Steve and Beth in order that they could challenge their accuracy.
Pinocchio should be suspended pending an independent investigation, at the very least maladministration if not Misconduct in Public Office, computer records seized to stop falsification, barred from any contact with the market.
Is it part of the job description to lie to the local press?
The stall has operated throughout the pandemic and lockdown, supplying local people with fruit and vegetables, showed innovation with a veg box scheme to ensure those who were self-isolating were not left without.
Should we not be encouraging healthy diet,supporting local businesses?
Not it seems if a useless City Hall jobsworth who has nothing better to do than engage in a vendetta against a local family business.
A major draw for an otherwise drab market.
It will hit local hospitality businesses — coffee shops, restaurants — who depend on the stall for their supply of fresh fruit and vegetables.
This is vindicate behaviour by a bully boy council who do not like criticism for a badly run market, broken promises.
Contrast the market with Trinity Market in Hull. It is one of the worst markets in the country. A county town in the middle of an agricultural county and the local council cannot run a viable market. York has a market, Hull has a market, but not Lincoln.
Crude intimidation of a local family business by a dysfunctional unaccountable council that fails to act for the local community.
A dysfunctional council in cahoots with the local coop has trashed Sincil Street and surrounding area, destroyed local businesses, to bring in corporate chains that can find anywhere, that are rapidly going bust.
A dysfunctional council that encourages visitors to shop in the corporate chains, but refuses to open public toilets, that from this week will be charging 20p to use the toilets at Lincoln Central Bus Station.
A dysfunctional council that does nothing to help local businesses.
Contrast the fruit and veg stall with the plastic obscenity that is M&S, where so-called fresh produce is wrapped in plastic, fresh fruit chopped up in a plastic box.
On the stall most of the fresh produce is loose, buy as little or as much as require, minimise waste, pop in a brown paper bag which can then go on the compost heap or into the recycling bin.
The produce can be as fresh as grown by Steve and picked that morning.
Is not the local council under statutory obligation to reduce waste?
What is the hidden agenda? Having trashed the surrounding area, destroyed local businesses, is Central Market next? A dirty back door deal with the local coop?
Look to the Butter Market in Newark where local traders were kicked out to bring in Cosy Club. Sound familiar?
Something stinks and it is not the smell of rotting cabbages.
Please sign the on-line petition objecting to the eviction.
If live in Lincoln please contact your local councillors and local Member of Parliament Karl McCartney and ask them to stop this eviction, and at the very least go and visit the stall talk to customers and check for themselves the facts not rely on officials running a vindictive vendetta for criticism of a badly run market.
