Refurbishing of Brown’s Town Market to Start Next Month

Refurbishing work on the Brown’s Town Market in St. Ann should get underway by early next month.
This was disclosed by Mark Henry, Parish Infrastructure Development Programme (PIDP) Project Officer in the Ministry of Local Government, Community Development and Sport, at a public meeting held at the Anglican Church Hall in the town recently.The main purpose of the meeting, called by the St. Ann Parish Council, was to provide a status report on the upgrading effort.
Mr. Henry told the meeting that the refurbishing work would see the market being divided into four blocks, with block ‘A’ to accommodate fruit and vegetable vendors; block ‘B’ for ground provision, meat, fish and craft items; block ‘C’ will house haberdashery and the market’s administrative personnel; while block ‘D’ will be for general use.
“We are in the process of evaluating a quotation with all stakeholders to start before December”, Mr. Henry said, informing that work would begin on block ‘A’ before moving on to the other sections.
He pointed out that the Council would keep vendors informed of the progress of the work through public meetings. He said that during the reconstruction exercise, the vendors’ welfare would be taken into account.
Mr. Henry also mentioned a proposal for the utilization of the town’s old car park as a flea market. He said the matter would be further discussed at the level of the Council.
Other topics raised at the meeting were accommodation of vendors during the refurbishing, security for the market, sanitary conveniences, drainage, garbage collection and disposal, street vending and the blocking of Market Street.
Meanwhile, Ian Boyd-Brown, Commercial Services Manager for the Council, provided information about the Council’s new arrears policy, under which vendors would be required to clear outstanding payments or face penalties.
Mr. Boyd-Brown said the policy would take effect on October 27 and persons who pay up within three months would benefit from a 20 percent discount. He indicated that action would be taken against those who did not meet their obligations.
Ivan Anderson, Councillor for the Brown’s Town division, who also spoke at the meeting, commended the Ministry for undertaking the restoration work, noting that the market was a crucial entity in the town. “Without the market, Brown’s Town, which is a farming community, is a dead town,” he stated.
In his remarks, Inspector Lincoln Wilson from the Brown’s Town Police Station, expressed the law officers support for efforts to rid the town of illegal vending.