VB are happy to be involved with the exciting proposals for Pannier Markets on the Isle of Wight. There are lots of great ideas being developed over the next few months, but in this first installment, Helen Bailey gives us the background on the project. Ed
You may have heard something of the Pannier Market concept already, but the team behind it are now pushing forward to make it a reality.
The long-term goal is to provide a permanent, all-weather trading venue in Newport.
What’s a pannier market?
The term ‘pannier’ is used to reflect the original way markets were used, where traders would just bring their produce in baskets and trade for the day.
Set up as a not-for-profit, local community-based enterprise, it’ll act as a focus and showcase for local produce and traders as well as giving marketers and shoppers a flexible and vibrant trading opportunity.
Supported by the Regional Training and Regeneration Trust (RT2), the core values of the Pannier Market philosophy include reflecting Newport’s heritage as the traditional trading centre for the Isle of Wight and reinforcing the Island’s local identity as producers, craftsmen and entrepreneurs.
Retail and tourism boost
It will champion both local retail and tourism – by offering a ‘window’ to Isle of Wight visitors – and give opportunities to more local people to bring their produce direct to market or to train as a new marketer.
Training opportunities
Part of the scheme involves providing short training courses for producers and artisans who have no prior experience of running a market stall.
By providing this sort of trading opportunity, it will perhaps help give smaller producers their first step on the road to running their own business, not to mention the potential for regeneration within the wider townscape of Newport.
Newport marketplace
The Pannier Market is keen to see the ‘marketplace’ back within the heart of Newport acting as a valuable, locally born regeneration project adding diversity and vibrancy to the area.
Visuals already developed are based around one of a number of possible market place locations and serve to example the type of facilities that could form part of that vision.
And now, as we said, things are starting to move forward so we’ll be keeping you up to date with developments.
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