Wisbech Market

MARKET supervisor Sam Hillard has been made redundant by Fenland Council because there is no longer enough work for him now Wisbech market is controlled by the Town Council.

Mr Hillard, 58, has for nearly nine years overseen markets in Wisbech, March and Chatteris markets and making ensure they were clean, safe and tidy.

He will leave Fenland in October after his post was axed.

His responsibilities of collecting rates, checking permits, helping traders to set up stalls and ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations will now be filled by FDC’s Streetscene team.

“I know many of the traders are unhappy about it because they want to know who to contact,” he said. “Now the responsibilities could be covered by one of four or five people.”

“That will mean those on the market will lose their close working relationship and strong rapport with their current market supervisor.

“Market traders are a breed of their own and different from anyone else.

“You need to know how to approach them and develop a softly-softly approach to get them working on your side.

“The Streetscene team won’t have any experience of market traders and who’s trying to pull a fast one.”

As Mr Hillard said: “I made a job for the traders and they made a job for me. As it turns out, I haven’t got a job anymore.”

The council’s staff committee recommended “deletion” of Mr Hillard’s post because of the “financial savings that would be achieved as a result of the changes”.

An FDC spokesman said: “We don’t comment on individual staff matters. But in any cases of redundancy, wherever possible we look to redeploy people to another position in the council.”