Ashburton’s main street ‘no place for markets’ – retailers

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:

Retailers want market stalls banned from Ashburton’s CBD streets as they say the road closures are hurting local shops.

Ashburton's central streets are closed on South Canterbury Anniversary Day each year for the market day, which is a normal work day in Mid Canterbury.

Jolene Laxton of retailer Sparrows spoke to the Ashburton District Council on behalf of the CBD retailers this week, asking to end the all-day road closure in the central area.

The local businesses want the council to “consider the impact that closing the central town access roads during business hours has on our local businesses within the area”.

When the CBD is closed off, the majority of businesses suffer financially she said.

“Trading is down between 30% to 50% on these market days.”

She also alleged a spike in shoplifting on the market days.
“A number of businesses are reporting a dramatic increase in theft on these days.”

Businesses didn’t bother reporting it because it wasn’t worth the recovery cost she said.

A police spokesperson said it “isn’t something our local staff were immediately aware of” after this year’s event.

The Ashburton Market Day, which replaced Boulevard Day, is an all-day market on East St.

The road closure of the four blocks of the CBD for the event was advertised 48 days in advance but “not everyone reads the paper” Laxton said.

They were also issued a reminder notice seven days before the event.

The market day events bring people into town but “do not bring customers into our local business that work hard to support our local community”.

“We are closing our roads and limiting our access to run an event that has more out-of-town stall holders than it does local stall holders, and is held on a public holiday for another district.”

“The main street of our town is not the prime position for these activities anymore.”

The retailers are suggesting Baring Square or the Ashburton Domain as better locations to hold the market days.

Originally asking for all road closures to be off the table, making the CBD a no-event zone, the retailers agreed some “community events” were still welcome.

Short-term events held in the evenings or weekends had less of an impact Laxton said.

“Any community event that is for our community, that brings our community together is a positive.”

The market day is a private event and “most of the money on that day goes out of our community”.

Boulevard Day had run on Ashburton’s main street for 45 years before the CBD was a construction zone in 2021 so was held in the Domain.

That event then folded and Carol Johns started her market day to take its place in 2022.

The CBD retailers had opposed the road closure with the council deciding to grant it, with a raft of conditions.

Johns was gutted the retailers were again trying to block her market day going ahead.

“I’ve fought and fought to bring this event that brings thousands of people to our town.

“They are trying to stop anyone from doing anything in the CBD.

“Do the retailers have that right?”

She was swift to denounce some of the claims by the retailers, as he hadn’t heard of any shoplifting or seen any police reports corroborating the claims.

Johns said she had followed all the processes to secure the road closure, which was publically notified without objection.

With the town centre upgrade changing Burnett and Tancred streets into one-way streets, a road closure on East Street effectively closes the whole CBD.

“And that wasn’t my doing.”

The market day is utilised by several Ashburton Community Groups to fundraise and this year about 50 of the 115 sites were run by locals, she said.

If the traditional section of East St is to become a no-go zone then Baring Square just down the road could work she said.

The domain wasn’t an option because part of the event is the “creating the atmosphere and vibe of being in the centre of town”.

The council has requested an issues and options report to be prepared.

Chief executive Hamish Riach said the report will look at what issues and any options around road closures under the legislation and bylaws.

The report is expected to take about a month he said.