Love Your Local Market

 

Bishop’s Stortford has had a market since the 1200s and has always been a vital part of the town. The market has had a varied history and has occupied many of the streets in Bishop’s Stortford. 

Bishop’s Stortford Market will be participating in Love Your Local Market this year.  Love Your Local Market is a national campaign that celebrates everything great about markets. Market traders are the heart, life and soul of any market and are at the centre of the campaign. We want to show the very best we have to offer and remind everyone how great our market is!

 

There will be special events throughout the market on Thursday 17 May and Saturday 17 May starting from 9am. The market will be decorated with Love Your Local decorations and there will be plenty to do and see.

 

On Thursday 17 May market traders will be handing out special giveaways for all their customers.

On Saturday 19 May the market is hosting a family fun day. There will be a face painter, entertainer, giveaways, recipe cards and a childrens’ trails. Throughout the two day event our traders will be organising something every special but you will have to visit the market to find out what!

 

Bishop’s Stortford Market takes places every Thursday and Saturday in Market Square and South Street from 8.30am.  The Farmers and Craft market continues on the first Saturday of every month, with the exception of August.  It takes place in North Street between 9.30am and 1.30pm.  Around 25 local producers and crafters sell handcrafted or local goods and produce. Visit our website for more information about events on the market: http://www.bishopsstortfordtc.gov.uk/

 

More information about the campaign can be found here- https://www.loveyourlocalmarket.co/

Tourist Information Centre Closure

Bishop's Stortford Tourist Information Centre will be closed from Monday 30 April to Tuesday 8 May for internal works. Bish Bash tickets can still be purchased from the Town Council or on 01279715001

Asian Street Food Market comes to Bishop's Stortford Thursday 26 April 2018

On Thursday 26th April 2018, the Event Management students at Hertford Regional College are coming to Bishop's Stortford Market for one day only. They have 2 Chinese food stalls competing against each other to sell food to local customers. They will be selling typical Chinese dishes such as chicken chow mein alongside innovative dishes like bubble tea and sticky Chinese pork with a bourbon sauce.
This event is part of their final showcase for their course. They will be charging competitive prices and cooking the dishes themselves.

They would love it if you came down to support them.

Location: South Street, Bishop's Stortford

Time: 11am - 3pm

Annual Town Meeting - Tuesday 24th April 2018

ANNUAL TOWN MEETING

BISHOP'S STORTFORD TOWN COUNCIL

 

NOTICE is hereby given that the Annual Town Meeting

will be held at Rhodes, 1-3 South Road, CM23 3JG,

on Tuesday 24th April 2018, at 7.30pm.

The meeting is open to the press and public.

 

A G E N D A

1.      Apologies for Absence

2.      To receive minutes of last year’s Annual Town Meeting

3.      Resume of the year’s work – Town Mayor

4.      Reports from Committee Chairmen

5.      Trustees’ Report

         Rhodes Birthplace Trust
         Brazier Trust

6.      Open Forum

 

Questions in advance must be submitted to the Chief Executive Officer at the address below no later than Friday 20th April 2018. Questions may be accepted on the day if time allows and may be answered if the information is available.

Refreshments will be available between 7.00pm and 7.30pm.

Committee reports, where available, will be published on Bishop’s Stortford Town Council’s website by Tuesday 17th April 2018.

http://www.bishopsstortfordtc.gov.uk/document-library

Cllr C Woodward, TOWN MAYOR

James Parker, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 

Bishop's Stortford Town Council, The Old Monastery, Windhill, Bishop's Stortford,

Herts, CM23 2ND, email: james.parker@bishopsstortfordtc.gov.uk

Annual Town Meeting - Tuesday 24th April 2018

Residents of Bishop’s Stortford are invited to join their Town Councillors at Rhodes on Tuesday 24thApril 2018, at 7.30pm for the Annual Town Meeting. Tea and coffee will be served at 7pm.

Why attend?

The Annual Town Meeting has proved to be a valuable forum for Bishop’s Stortford taxpayers to voice their opinions, question their elected Councillors and directly effect change in the community. Here, in this assembly, you can make your voice heard and learn about town issues, some of which may even be new to you!     

What’s On?

During the 2017/2018 financial year the Town Council has progressed many projects including the creation of additional burial space, the adoption of the phone box at Devoils Lane, improvements to the Children’s play area on Sworders Field and commencing of the rebuild of the Toilets at Market Square. 

It has commissioned studies of the visitor economy and the opportunities for creating a strategic cycle/walking network and developed, in conjunction with the Civic Federation and the Local History, several town trails which have proved popular both with visitors and townspeople. 

In conjunction with the District Council and others it has embarked on two ambitious projects which together have to potential to make a major impact on the very centre of town, namely Castle Park improvements and preparatory work to investigate the possibility of a new theatre complex on the Old River Lane site.

These projects are in addition to the Town Council’s regular activities, such as the maintenance of the cemeteries and allotments, the running of the community mini buses, including the Stortford Shuttle, on behalf of the Mini Bus Trust, and the management of four community centres, on behalf of the Community Centre Trusts. The TIC continues to provide residents and visitors alike, with information on the Town and its activities and what’s on in the surrounding area.

So why not spend an hour with us to up-date yourself on all these exciting and important projects, in addition to gaining an insight into the work undertaken throughout the year by the individual Town Council Committees.

 

The Agenda and further information will be posted on the Town Council’s website and notice boards around the Town two weeks before the meeting.

Questions in advance must be submitted no later than Tuesday 17th April 2018.  Questions may be accepted on the day if time allows.

Bishop's Stortford Town Council, The Old Monastery, Windhill, Bishop's Stortford, CM23 2ND, sim.richardson@bishopsstortfordtc.gov.uk

Christmas Lights 2018/19-2021/22 Tender

We are currently tendering for the annual Christmas Lights in the Town Centre.

Bishop’s Stortford Town Council organises festive lighting of the Town Centre (North Street, Potter Street, Market Square and South Street) each year. The Council is tendering for the year 2018 onwards.

The contract will run for four years to include the 2021/22 lighting period.

Responses are to be received by Bishop's Stortford Town Council on 17/04/2018 at 17.00.

Full details can be found here.

Bishop's Stortford Town Council adopts historic phone box

The historic 'K6' design phone box at the top of Devoils Lane will become the property of Bishop's Stortford Town Council on Friday 16th February.  The Town Council resolved to adopt it in June 2017 and BT have now decomissioned it and completed the transfer.  The box will remain in its current location and work will be done to it over the next few months to bring it back to a good state of repair.  It will then be fitted with a public access defibrillator, donated by the Sudden Adult Death Trust, a charity dedicated to preventing loss of life from SADS, Sudden Death, highlighting cardiac risk in the young through to middle age and funding lifesaving equipment.

Market Square Toilets - an update

Bishop’s Stortford Town Council regrets to announce that the contractor (Novo Contractors) employed to reconstruct and refurbish Market Square Toilets has ceased work on the contract and have advised that they do not intend to restart.  The contract has therefore been terminated for reason of default by the contractor.   Novo Contractors was initially chosen following a competitive tendering process and after undertaking the usual checks and following receipt of satisfactory references.   Novo had previously completed work for the Council with which it was  entirely satisfied.  The Town Council became aware, following contract award, that another company in the Novo group (but not Novo Contractors) was in liquidation, however there was no reason at that point to rescind the award nor would such a rescission have been permitted by the industry standard ‘JCT’ contract which is used for works of this nature. 

The demolition and reconstruction has been completed to floor level and the building inspector has confirmed that the works to date are satisfactory, which means that most of the uncertainties in the build are now behind us.  This gives a new contractor a relatively clear run and the Town Council has already initiated a new round of competitive tendering for the completion of the works.  As is common with contracts of this nature, some payments have already been made to Novo albeit for less than the value of works actually completed.  Following the default no further payments are due and under the contract Novo Contractors remain liable for any costs in excess of their fixed price quote which might be incurred.  The Town Council has been advised, however, that Novo Contractors will shortly cease trading and the Council will therefore be seeking  to complete the works as quickly as possible and without any increase in cost.

Unlike the toilets they replace, the new toilets will be at ground level and fully accessible for those with disabilities.  A terrace roof is included in the design and the Council is in discussion with the owners of the adjacent café (Rosey Lea) with a view to it being used for seating.  Subject to receiving satisfactory quotes it is hoped that the works will restart in March/April.

Old River Lane Partnership terms signed

Following a decision made at the Town Council meeting of 6th February Bishop's Stortford Town Council has signed Heads of Terms for a partnership agreement with East Herts District Council and the Rhodes Birthplace Trust for the devlopment of a new Arts Centre at Old River Lane.  Full details are available here.