Stefan,
You raise a good question, one that has not been resolved between the Forest Hill Society and the Portas Team.

My personal preference would be to have two complementary markets in Forest Hill on the same day, spreading out the coverage of the town centre and attracting more people to the two markets. Obviously publicity and some administration could be shared, and it would allow us to have a second market that included arts and crafts as well as the existing food market.

But that is just one possibility and we are waiting for the Portas market manager to be appointed, to understand the logistics of shared facilities between the three market sites in Forest Hill, Kirkdale, and Sydenham, and to understand what the Portas team want to achieve from a market in Forest Hill.

Market Makers Coordinator job description:
"...three markets in the run up to Christmas; and a series of further rotating and specialist markets during the first half of 2013. The role will also include looking at the viability and options for continuing the markets on a sustainable basis."

The Forest Hill Society wants to ensure that markets to continue in Forest Hill beyond July 2013, and giving up our involvement at this stage could potentially leave a vacuum in a few months time. We want to see continuity for the market and this probably means we need to stay in control.

I would like to thank all the assembly participant who voted for the three the Forest Hill Society bids. The market bid was specifically required because of the substantial increases in council fees in deeming the Food Fair to be 'Street Trading' rather than an 'Occasional Market'. I believe that they are wrong in this determination, but they are in control so there is little that we can do other than pay the additional £2000-£3000 required for markets throughout the year.

Whatever the relationship between FH Soc and Portas Market Coordinator (and we intend it to be a close relationship), the assembly funding will help us to continue and expand the Forest Hill Food Fair, to promote the town centre, bring in new businesses temporarily and permanently, and make Forest Hill an even better place to spend time and shop.