Mansfield Market to reawaken for first time since lockdown

Visitors being encouraged to ‘shop safely’ with new safety measures introduced ready for the reopening tomorrow (Friday, June 5).

The gates will be open from 6.45am to 4pm Tuesday to Saturday, say Mansfield District Council.

Fencing has been put up around the market stalls to limit the numbers of visitors within the space and allow people to social distance.

There will also be a simple one-way system and separate queuing space for each stall, with markings to ensure customers can stay two metres away from others during their visit.

The entrance to the market will be at the top of Church Street, near HSBC where a board will be on display showing the location of traders each day. The exit will be near Pound Bakery.

Councillor Stuart Richardson, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Growth at Mansfield District Council, said: “We are pleased that the market is ready to safely welcome back traders and customers.

“The layout and safety measures we have had to put in place are new to us, to stallholders and shoppers. There will be an element of getting used to things, but we will keep everything under constant review and make any necessary changes as time goes on.

“The fencing is the only way we could limit the number of pedestrians walking through to keep traders and customers safe.

We’ve worked with the traders to ensure they were kept informed and involved and we thank them for their support. It’s great to hear that several prefer the new layout.

“Please be patient and kind to traders, our town centre staff and each other as we all work through these difficult times and the challenges it brings.”

While some traders have confirmed they intend to return from Friday, the full range of products may not be available until more traders return over the next couple of weeks.

There will be hand sanitiser available and members of the Town Centre team will be on hand to guide shoppers and help control the number of people within the market area at any one time.

The butcher, fishmonger and refreshment van will be outside the fenced area on the days they stand and no seating will be available within the enclosed market space.

The Council said that traders have been given help and advice about risk assessments that must be completed before they are allowed to return, and have been encouraged to offer card payments to reduce the need to handle cash.

Pedestrians are advised to keep left where pavements are narrow. The steps from Toothill Lane car park to White Lion Yard will remain closed as visibility is too limited to enable social distancing.

A revised fee structure is proposed to reflect the new layout, meaning stall rents would be cheaper for the vast majority of stallholders due to the visibility of all stalls.

You can follow @MansfieldMarketOfficial for details of businesses that are returning and when.

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