Organisers have '˜plan B' for festive market

Sleaford Town Councillors resolved at their meeting last Wednesday to back proposals by organisers to potentially not go ahead with road closures and associated traffic management arrangements for the Sleaford Christmas market this year.

This was due to the prohibitive costs involved, but organisers are upbeat about finding alternative ways to make it a success.

Volunteer members of the new Christmas Market Group discovered that although the road closure order would cost nothing, the required professional traffic management company to handle it and have numerous dedicated signs made would wipe out the entire market budget to the tune of £3,000 – unless generous sponsors can be found.

The group intends to continue to progress their plans to use the Market Place, Eastgate Car Park and the Town Hall instead, as the main venue for stalls and entertainment, with the event staged on the Saturday, meaning no need for some town centre businesses to open specially on a Sunday.

Cara Jane Sandy has been leading the market group and said they are working on moving the Christingle service to Saturday too.

She said: “The road closure has been a stickler but we are working around it.

“I am very confident in this town’s ability to work together and get the market to a standard that everyone will enjoy.”

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