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Butter Market Hereford


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A good friend of mine, Mr Darren Socket has won the bid for the Butter Market. This from Herefordshire Council's website:

 

'The refurbishment of Hereford Butter Market is a step closer as Herefordshire Council select a preferred bidder for the redevelopment of the iconic Hereford building.

Two final candidates presented their business case on Tuesday 9 June to a panel of councillors and officers from the council and Hereford City Council and local businessman Darren Sockett was selected as preferred bidder.

As well as ensuring the future of the market the council will receive payment for the site equivalent to the current market value'.   

 

Darren Sockett said: “I am delighted to receive the support from Herefordshire Council, Hereford City Council and the Butter Market Traders Association and to be entrusted with the future of the Butter Market.

All of the team here look forward to revitalising the Butter Market which will stay open for business, whilst we carry out our planned major improvements.

We have a great vision for the Butter Market which will be a source of new opportunities and a great destination for shoppers.”

Councillor Harry Bramer, cabinet member contracts and assets added: “We were very impressed with the business case presented by Darren and his future plans for the market. The council is keen to ensure the city centre remains a thriving shopping and visitor destination and Darren’s plans are very much aligned with this.” 

The Butter Market, which currently offers fresh produce as well as other traditional retail stalls will be extended to offer a more diverse range of products and services; becoming a hub for small business start-ups and education. 

Steve Kerry, Hereford City Council town clerk, said: “The City Council has been pleased to be involved in the selection of a preferred bidder for refurbishing the Butter Market and we support the choice of Darren Sockett.  The Butter Market is a vital part of High Town and it is very good news that this project is proceeding.”

Antony Hill, chairman of the Butter Market independent traders association, said: “We welcome the news that Darren Sockett has been selected as the preferred bidder.

We are confident that Darren will have the best interests of the Butter Market traders at heart.”

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I am a little confused, I know it don't take much. Where is the money coming from to refurnish the Butter Market, also who will the Butter Market belong to after the refurbishment?

 

I may be wrong, but it sounds like it is going into private hands.

I think that Mr Sockett has bought the Butter market.The market value was about £1 million so yes it's in private hands

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I know the fact that The Butter Market is now in private ownership seems to go against the grain..... but something had to be done.

 

Lack of investment and care over the past goodness knows how many years, have done this glorious building no favours. It needs some TLC if it is to survive and thrive.

 

Hopefully, it will now get that.

 

It certainly is deserving, and to allow it to deteriorate any more could not be an option.

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Yes, I read this a few days ago.

 

It didn't appear until the news was out about the successful bid. I was surprised that there hadn't been more publicity about this groups interest in The Butter Market.... they appear to have put forward an excellent case.

 

However, it does appear that Mr Sockets vision for the future of The Butter Market has the traders seal of approval. These are the folks who it will matter to most, so for me at least, I would have to support that. 

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Evening Adrian.

 

This council do not give two hoots about Our Counties heritage. Look at the campaign to save The Working Boys Home.... they wanted it flattened, and I'm still not convinced that it is entirely safe now.

 

Much as it pains me to see beautiful buildings passed into private hands, rather this than let them fall into an even greater state of disrepair. Personally, I'd love someone to come along and buy both The Boys Home and indeed The River Island site, and actually DO something with these buildings, rather than leave them so woefully neglected.

 

In the case of The Boys Home, I'm sure that a cooperative of local crafts people could turn it into a vibrant and welcoming space, perhaps with a café run by students from the nearby Barrs Court Hub.

 

In the evenings, local bands could use it for practise, or the odd performance. It could have a real city centre community vibe.

 

There is so much potential for this place. The longer it's empty, the bigger the threat of losing it.  

 

(Good to read that you were at last nights meeting, by the way!)

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First published 1 hour ago in Hereford Times Letters

 
IN choosing a commercial bid to take over Hereford's Butter Market, in preference to our not-for-profit community-run approach, we hope that Herefordshire Council will not have missed an opportunity to engage directly with the electorate. (Butter Market future secure – Hereford Times June 25) While understanding the attraction of being able to help balance its books, there is the question over the extent to which the council will have met its obligations under the Localism Act of 2011 which is designed to place community empowerment at the heart of everything it does.
 
Food for Growth was a community interest company seeking to restore and run the Butter Market as a community enterprise. Our members include locally based business and food experts who are committed to supporting the existing Butter Market traders and the wider food and drink business which remains the county’s principal industry.
 
Our vision incorporated a dynamic, welcoming and exciting market hall, with flexible spaces that could be used for street food, performance, pop-up stands as well as providing an environment that would suit current traders.
 
The council expressed support and enthusiasm for the vision and ambition behind the Food for Growth bid when narrowing the choice to a shortlist of two.
 
While we are naturally disappointed that this encouragement and support has not translated to a successful outcome, we hope that the Butter Market continues to thrive as a landmark at the heart of the city’s business community and that community remains at the heart of this iconic landmark.
 
JO HILDITCH Chairman, Food for Growth CIC (farmer and Cassis producer) Other signatories – Martin Orbach (ice-cream maker, and Abergavenny Food Festival founder), Bill Sewell (All Saints Café), Glenn Jones (Discover Parks), Clive Boultbee-Brooks (commercial property developer), Mo Burns (food policy adviser), Nick Read (Bulmer Foundation), Peter Norton (sustainable food consultant), Andrew Thorman (former executive editor, Countryfile)

 

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So another city building  snapped up by a private  buyer,  Great, just what we need.

And at least he's Herefordian and employs a lot of people and not a company that does not give a toss whether the building is occupied,empty or burned out.

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  • 11 months later...

I hear that the deal to transfer ownership to Sockett has still not gone through for various reasons, principally the developers desire to get some flats into the scheme and the lack of legal access along Maylord Street (sold off by the Council in yet another short sighted desire to offload responsibility for anything and everything). He has been given a final deadline of next Thursday to seal the deal or it's all off. Whether Food for Growth are still around or would be interested is unknown - otherwise, yet another colossal waste of our money to stand still, whilst the building and the traders suffer the consequences.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I hear that the deal to transfer ownership to Sockett has still not gone through for various reasons, principally the developers desire to get some flats into the scheme and the lack of legal access along Maylord Street (sold off by the Council in yet another short sighted desire to offload responsibility for anything and everything). He has been given a final deadline of next Thursday to seal the deal or it's all off. Whether Food for Growth are still around or would be interested is unknown - otherwise, yet another colossal waste of our money to stand still, whilst the building and the traders suffer the consequences.

something should be done with it, it could be so nice and we could get local products in there. 

This is the problem with Hereford, ok, this is one of the problems, we have so many local products and no where to sell them.

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Twowheelgood , Hi , do you know if Mr Socket / HCC meet the deadline of the 30/06/16 ?

 

I'm told the deadline came and went without any agreement being reached. The Council don't care - it suited their corrupt cause to use it to promote the hollow and now abandoned ESG/Hereford Futures - but are happy for the once 'jewel in the crown' to tarnish and fade away. Once again, we are sorely let down by over-paid and under-achieving officers and equally under-achieving Councillors.

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