Are Salisbury City Council looking to block Wilton Village Market?

Salisbury Radio understands that Salisbury City Council is looking to block markets at Wilton Village from continuing.

It would appear that Salisbury City Council is using historic charter rules, granting Salisbury its charter market, to block the Wilton Village Market from operating.

Salisbury Charter Market is one of the oldest in the UK, established in 1227 by a Royal Charter from King Henry III.

The 1227 charter states that no competitive market should be permitted to operate within 6.67 miles, measured in a straight line,  on established market days. 

Salisbury's Market Charter was granted following a dispute between Wilton and Salisbury, with the city initially being granted a market on Tuesdays. Wilton, the more established settlement at the time, complained that Salisbury was running illegal markets and taking trade away from their town. Salisbury was granted an extra day, Saturday, as part of a compromise agreement. 

Wilton Village Market, which runs on ad hoc weekends, is a collaboration between Wilton Village (previously known as The Guild and Wilton Shopping Village) and Our Local Market. 

It appears to fall foul of the near 800-year-old charter rules because it runs on both Saturday and Sunday on the weekends it operates, with Salisbury's Charter Market also falling on a Saturday.

In a post on Facebook, responding to speculation that the markets would be cancelled, Our Local Market said, "Salisbury City Council has now initiated formal legal action in relation to the operation of markets at Wilton Village. Their position is based on historic Charter Market rights, and they are asserting that markets held on the same days as their own (Tuesdays and Saturdays) may constitute an unlawful disturbance under common law.

"Throughout this process, we have engaged constructively and sought clarity on the legal basis of this position, including submitting a formal Freedom of Information request. The response confirmed that the Council is relying on historic principles, and that it does not hold evidence of recent enforcement of such rights, nor any impact assessment demonstrating that the Wilton Village markets have caused or would cause measurable harm.

"Despite this, the matter has now escalated to formal legal proceedings. This naturally raises questions around proportionality and how public resources are being used in pursuing a matter of this kind, particularly where clear evidence of harm has not been identified.
Wilton Village has taken the decision to continue operating its markets and to robustly defend its position, with specialist legal representation now in place. We remain closely involved and fully supportive in this process, and we have every intention of continuing with our planned programme of markets.

"We firmly believe that these markets are a positive, community-focused initiative that supports local traders, increases footfall, and contributes to the wider local economy. The response from both traders and the public has been overwhelmingly positive.

"We are looking forward to seeing you all at our next markets on 13th and 14th June."

Both Wilton Village and Salisbury City Council have been approached for comment. Wilton Village haven't responded at the time of publication, whilst Salisbury City Council responded, saying, "Salisbury City Council has no comment at this time."

People have been posting comments in support of the market, saying it's a great addition to Wilton and the shopping centre and their shock at Salisbury City Council potentially blocking it. Stephanie McMenemy said on Facebook, "As a business owner within Wilton Village, we see a huge benefit to having these!! It’s bringing people back into our once again thriving village."