RADICAL measures to stop market traders selling smoking materials are being introduced by the council as it pushes ahead with its plans to eradicate smoking from the town.
It is part of an ambitious plan to make Barnsley home to the first smoke-free market in the country. Stall holders had previously been told the council wanted to build on the success of voluntary smoke-free zones in other parts of the borough by extending the ‘ban’ to outside areas around the market.
Locke Park and Elsecar Park were among the first places to became smoke-free in January and The Pals Centenary Square at the side of the town hall followed suit in June.
But traders have now received a letter from Anne Untisz, the markets and town centre manager, stating it is the council’s immediate intention to stop all new traders across Barnsley central and district markets from selling smoking materials such as papers, tips and lighters. The removal of smoking materials and restriction of e-cigatettes from sale will be implemented by next summer.
In addition, a smoke-free Barnsley Market Square is also planned from January 1. The letter states the no smoking or vaping rule inside market buildings has led to a number of traders to seek help to stop smoking, and the council will use the lessons learned from the smoke-free Pals Square to implement a smoke-free Market Square. This will also set the foundation for the completed Town Square in the Glass Works development.
But the decision has raised concerns with members of the National Market Traders Federation Barnsley Group, which does not speak on behalf of the NMTF head office in Hoyland, and a Barnsley Group spokesman questioned whether the ban would apply to all retailers in the Glass Works, or just market traders, and how the council planned to implement it.
The spokesman for the NMTF Barnsley Group said: “They are going to destroy these markets. Why does the council want to shut down small, independent retailers to make way for big, multinational companies?
“The council shouldn’t by trying to impose its will on the public, or dictate.
“Once you impose your will on someone, they rebel. I know smoking is no good, but the way forward is to educate people. The biggest turn over for me is smoking products. This will be the end for me, and other people who sell smoking products. The council has said it will try and find people alternatives to sell - like what?”
The spokesman questioned why the decision had not been put out to public consultation, and why the council wants to introduce a number of new restaurants when obesity was still a problem.
“This council seems to think it can do what it wants because of what has gone on historically with other political parties - the Tories will never get in.
“Smoking nationally is on the decline, and type two diabetes is on the rise. But the council wants to introduce a lot more fast food restaurants in to the town centre on top of the cafes and the existing food offers. Will it next be targeting sugary foods? What about people walking around the town centre with cans of alcohol? Is it going to ban alcohol from off licences?”
Also being banned is the sale of all drugs paraphernalia, which will be stopped from January 1. The letter states: “Having stalls filled with cannabis bongs, pipes, grinders and cannabis-branded cigarette papers only fuels the assumption that it’s acceptable to use drugs and creates the culture of tacit acceptance.”
The council was unable to provide a comment.
