There is something reassuringly old-fashioned about a proper market town. Long before retail parks and shopping centres came along, it was the stalls that gave a place its bustle and its character. Guildford has long been a market town, so it is fitting that two of its most familiar stalls have just been told they can carry on operating at a site that often welcomes visitors looking to spend their money on something unique that they wouldn’t be able to pick up anywhere else. It is a positive move for the town, albeit one that wasn’t exactly an unexpected outcome.
Council Approves Tunsgate Arch Stalls
Guildford Borough Council’s Planning Committee has unanimously approved plans for two stalls at Tunsgate Arch to keep trading for another five years. The pair have sat in the historic spot since 1991 and are routinely handed a fresh licence by the Council to stay put. Because the Council was itself the applicant this time around, the decision had to be referred to the Planning Committee rather than just being waved through by officers. Reassuringly for anyone who relies on them, nothing is changing for shoppers. The stalls will keep their current hours, trading from 8am to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday and from 9am to 5pm on Sundays and Bank Holidays, at the Grade II-listed site.
Heritage was always likely to be the sticking point with a listed building involved, but officers were satisfied that the stalls do no harm to the town’s character. They described them as ‘an established feature’ of Tunsgate Arch, noting that they sit tucked into the south-western recess, clear of pedestrians on either side, and add a touch of vibrancy to the conservation area rather than getting in anyone’s way. That sense of them adding character to the town has long been one of the key reasons why the Council has never looked to get rid of them, as well as being part of the reason as to why the locals approve of their existence.
A Market Town Through and Through
Attention was also drawn to Guildford’s long-standing status as a market town, which the stalls were felt to enhance rather than undermine. Councillor Catherine Houston summed up the mood on the committee, saying, ‘Guildford is a market town. I very much encourage any thriving economic activity.’ Similarly, officers writing a report into the matter said, “The stalls have been in place for a number of years and are an established feature within Tunsgate Arch and the Town Centre Conservation Area.” In short, it’s difficult to claim to be a market town without having any market stalls on offer.
One question that may crop up next time is just how often the council needs to go through all of this. Councillor George Potter suggested that the Committee should consider granting permission for longer stretches in the future, given how settled the stalls have become, describing the five-yearly process as ‘a bit redundant’ and an unnecessary expense. The fact that the Council essentially applied to itself for the licence makes a bit of a mockery of the idea that it might not be successful, albeit with the decision made somewhat independently. Regardless, for now the stalls are safe for another five years.