Deadlock in row over Waikato market day

Only 10 of the 80 Frankton Market stallholders say they would be able to operate on Sundays. Photo / Supplied

Frankton businesses are refusing mediation over an attempt to shift the 23-year-old Frankton Markets from a Saturday to a Sunday, saying there is nothing to discuss.

About 58 people attended a meeting held by the Frankton Business Association on Tuesday night and expressed anger at the latest attempt by Forlongs director Terry Forlong to move the Commerce St market to a Sunday.

Forlongs lawyers are challenging Commerce St being closed for 51 half-days because legally a road can be shut for only 31 days.

The road closure had previously been approved because the road was closed for four hours only and so fell within the 31-day requirement and all parties had agreed.

Hamilton City Council agreed last week to hold a meeting of key stakeholders to come up with a solution for the market but Frankton Business Association chairwoman Edwyna Carlson, who owns Florist Ilene, said they would not be involved.

"At this stage we are not happy to go to mediation because we don't feel there's anything to mediate."

Instead, she said, they would meet Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker and city infrastructure general manager Chris Allen to give their view.

As a result, the council is now meeting Forlongs, the Frankton Markets organiser (on behalf of the stallholders) and the business association separately to come up with a solution that pleases everyone.

Mr Forlong had not heard of the association's plans to avoid mediation so declined to comment. He also rejected the group's solutions to his problems of customer carparking being used and increased shoplifting on market days.

He has already tried opening the vacant lot he owned on the corner of the Commerce and High Sts and said thatt had not solved the parking problem. He also opposed employing security outside his shop to stop theft. "I don't think people would like to see guards standing outside a retail shop. We are not a prison."

Most stallholders canvassed by the business association already attend markets in Auckland and Rotorua on Sunday and only 10 of the 80 could make a new Sunday date.

Stallholder Clive Bourne, who has been selling T-shirts at Frankton since it opened, said the market would "die" if it moved to Sundays or was held on only 31 days of the year. He said he would not be able to make it because he attended church on Sundays.