A stafford market trader is spitting feathers after being forced to close his 16- year-old pet stall.
A year after telling the Newsletter he feared for the future of his business, Steve Astley-Nadin left Stafford’s indoor market on Tuesday.
He blames the recession, out-of-town businesses and Stafford Borough Council’s “lack of support” for his stall’s demise.
The 49-year-old said: “It’s a sad day because we’ve been one of the most popular stalls here over the years.
“We were riding high until about 18 months ago, then the recession kicked in and nothing’s been done with the town centre to increase footfall.
“We’ve gone from having a good, regular number of shoppers to next to nothing, particularly in the afternoons.
“You come into town on a Saturday and it’s totally dead, while Queensville Retail Park’s absolutely heaving.
“Trade’s been taken away from the centre of town and stallholders have definitely suffered from that.” Mr Astley-Nadin, who has now secured a job in sales for another pet firm, said the council has done “nothing” to support stallholders through the recession.
He has issued a stark warning that, unless it is supported, the market itself could disappear.
He said: “I don’t think the council cares whether the market stays or goes. You spend 16 years of your life building up a business and then it’s just gone.
“Mine’s just the latest in a long line of stalls to close in recent years and the place is looking pretty sad right now.
“No-one there can make any money now. It takes a week now to make what we used to in a day.
“I never thought I’d have to go back to working for someone else after so carefully establishing my own business.
“But, unfortunately, the recession means our products, many of which are offered by supermarkets, are now considered as luxuries.” But a council spokesman said Mr Astley-Nadin had not helped himself or taken advantage of help offered by the council.
“We are disappointed Mr Astley-Nadin has ignored the fact we have spent nearly £200,000 in recent years on improvements to the market, and we advertise it in the local media and other publications all year round.
“We invited him to join a committee to look at ideas for the market but he did not want to.
“He had the opportunity to advertise for free on the successful Stafford Town Centre Partnership website but has not. The other pet shop in the market has done so.
“And other traders and customers have told us how he was not helping himself by running down the market - claiming it will be shut by Christmas - which is simply not true and actually puts potential and regular customers off.”
