Save Paddy's Market

Paddy's Market has been part of Glasgow's market scene for almost two hundred years. Whilst it has always been situated in the Bridgegate area it only moved to it's current spot on Shipbank Lane in 1935.

The name Paddy's comes from the original Irish traders who established the market in the 19th century.

For further information on the campaign to save Paddy's Market please view the links further down the page.

Today the market is under threat from Glasgow City Council who intend to close it as they believe it is responsible for much of the crime in the city centre. Opponents of the council scheme point out the presence of the high court and a hostel home to many drug addicts rather than the market are attracting criminals into the area.

Online petition - Save Glasgow's Paddy's Market from Closure

You can help save Paddy's Market by writing to the local councillors, MP and MSP's for the area to register your opposition to the plans. Although this is a council matter if enough of us hassle the MP and MSP's they might put a bit of pressure of the councillors to listen to objections to the closure. Please also take a moment to sign the online petition.

Online petition - Save Glasgow's Paddy's Market from Closure

Councillors

Bailie Gordon Matheson
Executive Member for Education and Social Renewal
Glasgow City Council, City Chambers, George Square, Glasgow, G2 1DU.
gordon.matheson@councillors.glasgow.gov.uk

Surgeries

1st Saturday of each month - Dundasvale Residents' Hall, 12 Dundasvale Court at 10.30am.

1st Saturday of each month - St Mungo's Primary School, 45 Parson Street at 12 noon.

2nd Wednesday of each month - Tenants' Hall, 32a Drygate at 6.00pm.

3rd Tuesday of each month - Garnethill Multi-Cultural Centre, 21 Rose Street at 6.00pm.

4th Wednesday of each month - Merchant City Initiative, 50 Bell Street at 6.00pm.

Councillor Craig Mackay
Glasgow City Council, City Chambers, George Square, Glasgow, G2 1DU.
craig.mackay@councillors.glasgow.gov.uk

Surgeries

Glasgow SNP Offices, Suite 334, 50 Wellington Street at 1.30pm, second Tuesday each month.

St Patrick's Primary School, 10 Perth Street at 6.00pm, third Tuesday each month.

Overnewton Recreation Centre, 2 Overnewton Square at 6.00pm, last Monday each month.

Councillor Philip Braat
Glasgow City Council, City Chambers, George Square, Glasgow, G2 1DU.
philip.braat@councillors.glasgow.gov.uk

Surgeries

St Patrick's Primary School, 10 Perth Street - 10.00am, 1st Saturday each month.

Overnewton Centre, Overnewton Square, Blackie Street - 6.00pm, 2nd Tuesday each month.

Gaelic School, 147 Berkley Street - 6.30pm, 3rd Thursday each month.

Bailie Dr Nina Baker
Glasgow City Council, City Chambers, George Square, Glasgow, G2 1DU.
nina.baker@councillors.glasgow.gov.uk

Surgeries

GOMA Library, Queen Street - 12noon-1.00pm, 1st Thursday each month.

Mitchell Library, North Street - 10.00-11.00am, 2nd Saturday each month.

Constituency MSP

Pauline McNeil MSP
1274 Argyle Street
Glasgow
G3 8AA
Pauline.Mcneill.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

Surgeries

2nd Monday of each month - 5pm
Patrick Burgh Hall
5-9 Burgh Hall Street, Partick
Glasgow G11 5LN

3rd Monday of each month - 4pm
Scotstoun Leisure Centre
7 Danes Drive, Scotstoun
Glasgow, G14 9HD

4th Monday of each month - 5pm
BCD Credit Union
15 Kennedy Path, Townhead
Glasgow, G4 0PP

Regional MSPs

Bashir Ahmad MSP
Suite 332
50 Wellington Street
Baltic Chambers
Glasgow
G2 6HJ
Bashir.Ahmad.msp@scottish.parliament.uk
Tel: 0141-202-0681

Bill Aitken MSP
Conservative Office
570 Mosspark Boulevard
Glasgow
G52 1SD
Bill.Aitken.msp@scottish.parliament.uk
Tel: 0141 810 5743

Robert Brown MSP
Olympic House
2nd Floor
142 Queen Street
Glasgow
G1 3BU
Robert.Brown.msp@scottish.parliament.uk
Tel: 0141 243 2421

Bob Doris MSP
Room 329
Baltic Chambers
50 Wellington Street
Glasgow
G2 6HJ
Bob.Doris.msp@scottish.parliament.uk
Tel: 0141 202 0675

Patrick Harvie MSP
Suite 2
Firhill Business Centre
74-76 Firhill Road
Glasgow
G20 7BA
Patrick.Harvie.msp@scottish.parliament.uk
Tel: 0141 946 5869

Bill Kidd MSP
The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP
Bill.Kidd.msp@scottish.parliament.uk
Tel: 0131 348 6591

Sandra White MSP
Room 331
3rd Floor
Baltic Chambers
50 Wellington Street
Glasgow
G2 6HJ
Sandra.White.msp@scottish.parliament.uk
Tel: 0141 202 0679

Member of Parliament

Mr Mohammad Sarwar
House of Commons,
London, SW1A 0AA
Tel: 020 7219 3000

Shipbank Lane : Proposed Regeneration Project

Purpose of Report:
To advise Committee of the continuing problems of crime and anti-social behaviour in the Shipbank Lane area (Paddy's Market) of the city centre, and of the opportunity to resolve these through the Council taking over the lease of the relevant properties and developing the area as an extension to the Merchant City Cultural Quarter.

Recommendation:
That Committee authorise the Executive Director of Development and Regeneration Services to
enter into negotiations with Network Rail with a view to the Council taking over the head-lease of
the railway arches and adjacent property at Paddy's Market for a combination of uses by the City
Council and sub-leasing to appropriate arts and business organisations.

1. BACKGROUND
1.1 The quality of the city centre as a place to visit, work and live has increased significantly
in recent years. Investment in the public realm and lighting, new and proposed commercial and residential developments, including significant amounts of retail floorspace, have and will continue to contribute to an improved range of facilities and
enhanced environmental quality in the city centre. The improvement has been particularly evident in the Merchant City where a range of investments undertaken within the context of the Merchant City Action Plan have led to a significant improvement in the public environment, an increased in the scale/range of property investment, and a steady
growth in the local business base.

1.2 Despite these improvements, crime and anti-social behaviour continues to be a
significant problem in that part of the 'wider' Merchant City known commonly as Paddy's
Market (centred on Shipbank Lane). For many years, Paddy's Market provided an outlet for legitimate second hand goods, and fulfilled a useful social role as a low cost retail market. More recently, however, the area has become the subject of escalating levels of criminality - including drugs offences, acts of serious disorder, the sale of stolen / reset property, the sale of counterfeit material, and the sale of contraband (alcohol and
cigarettes). Criminal activity and anti-social behaviour related to the Paddy's Market area
is considered by the Police and Glasgow Community Safety Services to have an extremely detrimental impact on surrounding residential areas, and problems being particularly acute in the lower Saltmarket area. All of these issues increase the difficulty of 'turning round' this area - and threaten to undermine the investment the Council is
making in the Merchant City.

1.3 Police records indicate that in 2005 / 2006 there were 314 drug possession cases, 268 breaches of the peace, 29 robberies, 96 thefts, 89 simple assaults, 46 cases of Police assault/resisting arrest, and one attempted murder in the Paddy's Market area.

2. INFORMATION
2.1 The railway arches at Paddy's Market are owned by Network Rail. The properties are
leased to a range of individuals and businesses on an annual basis, with a common lease renewal date at Whitsun. Network Rail currently receives approximately £130,000 per annum in rental income.

2.2 As noted above, the area has experienced a particularly high level of crime. Policing the
area has, however, proved difficult in view of its geographical characteristics and the nature of the crimes committed. To help address matters, an exclusion zone has been agreed between the Police and the Procurator Fiscal around Paddy's Market. Anyone committing more than one offence over a fixed period of time within this area is recognised as a persistent offender and is excluded from entering the area. If such an individual is caught within the area, they can be arrested immediately. This is, however, complex - and expensive - to enforce.

2.3 Addressing the problems in the area is estimated to give rise to operational costs which, in 2006/07 totalled £277,000. This consists of Police costs of £95,000, Customs and Excise costs of £42,000, and Federation Against Copyright Theft costs of £30,000. Costs to the City Council amount to £110,000 (£80,000 in cleansing costs and £30,000 in
trading standards costs).

2.4 The development and regeneration of the south east sector of the city centre and the immediate area adjacent to Paddy's Market is gathering momentum. Proposals have been put in place for the Customhouse Quay Gardens area. The St Enoch Centre
redevelopment involving an additional retail floorspace and the development of leisure
facilities is currently on site. The St Enoch East site, which currently operates as a car park, has recently changed ownership, with the new owners indicating that they wish to develop the site and anticipate being in a position to start discussions on their proposed development in early 2009. Immediately adjacent to Paddy's Market, the Briggait is scheduled to be converted into studio space for artists. In addition to this, the Merchant
City Townscape Heritage Initiative area has been extended to include the area south of Trongate, stretching towards the River Clyde. In this context, it is intended, as part of the THI Five Year Action Programme, to undertake streetscape works to improve the lanes adjacent to Paddy's Market.

2.5 These development proposals indicate that in the near future the south east sector of the city
centre will start to play a significantly more important role in the area's economic activity as
new facilities are brought forward. Within this context the Arches present a range of
opportunities.

For example :
%u2022 To meet potential operational requirements of the Council and Glasgow Community Safety services.

%u2022 Replacement storage space is required for the Council Christmas lights.

%u2022 A range of artist's organisations could potentially be interested in sub-letting the
space in the event that the Council does not require all the arches accommodation.

%u2022 There is potential to develop part of the arches complex for a high quality weekday or weekend market to be operated by the City Markets LLP.

2.6 The savings and income associated with these uses could make a significant offset against the costs of the lease.

3. WAY FORWARD

3.1 Discussions with Network Rail have indicated that it should be possible to secure the
lease of the Paddy's Market area at a rental considerably below that charged to the
existing tenants. This reflects a recognition by Network Rail of the problems that exist in the area, and their corporate 'social responsibility' to help resolve them.

3.2 It is considered that acquiring the lease on the basis indicated above would provide a longer term solution to the problems currently experienced in the area than coordinated action by the Police and other public organisations. To date, these have simply had the effect of removing the problem for a short period of time before high levels of criminality have returned to the area.

4. CONCLUSIONS

4.1 The acquisition of the Paddy's Market lease by the City Council should enable the problems of criminality in the Paddy's Market area to be eliminated. The space would provide a valuable asset from an operational point of view to the City Council and would enable an existing property to be released and realise a capital receipt. Most importantly, tackling the criminality in this area would enable the Paddy's Market area to once again
play a useful and legitimate role in the city centre, with uses that compliment those proposed for the adjacent area.

5. SERVICE IMPLICATIONS
Financial - see above.
Legal - a lease with Network Rail would require to be put in place for the arches.
Personnel - none.
Service Plan - improving the environment of the Paddy's Market area
contributes to the aims of Service Priority 6.2, the City Centre
Action Plan.
Environmental - none.
Development and Regeneration Services
SI (095-08)
13 March 2008

Online petition - Save Glasgow's Paddy's Market from Closure

The main thrust of the council's argument in favour of closing Paddy's Market is that it will cut crime in the area. Whilst the police statistics make grisly reading they do not tell us which of these offences occurred within the market itself nor do the tell us if they occurred during hours when the market was trading. They also offer no evidence that any of the crimes were committed as a direct result of the market's existence.

It is worth noting that the presence of a hostel and the High Court attract large numbers of criminals to the area and will continue to do so if the market is closed. If criminals are currently congregating in the market how will dispersing them by closing the market cut crime? Instead the same crime will just be spread to other areas of the city centre or criminals will be handed an empty lane to operate from out of sight of any potential witnesses. If the police can't spare the resources to enforce the law in a busy market why do the council think they will spend the money policing an empty lane?

The council further state that the area is difficult and expensive to police. Is it not unfair and unjust to punish legitimate traders and shoppers because the police have not been allocated sufficient resources to police the area effectively?

The council also argue that closing the market will help stamp out the selling of contraband, stolen property and counterfeit items. All of these items are widely available without having to set foot in Paddy's Market. Even auction sites like eBay attract sellers (and buyers) of fake designer goods. I have been offered the chance to buy stolen/fake goods at bus stops, in work at car boot sales and in pubs -I know plenty of other people who could say the same. The rules on selling on duty free alcohol and tobacco are widely flouted. Any seller of illegal goods turfed out of Paddy's will just carry on elsewhere and may even be harder to catch.

Online petition - Save Glasgow's Paddy's Market from Closure

One of the ideas put forward to replace Paddy's Market is to invite various artists and people from assorted ethic groups to open stalls there. It is not clear how this will lower crime or make the market safer.

According to the council Strathclyde Police find the area difficult to police effectively because of it's geography. As this will not change when the new traders are installed how safe will they be -particularly without more experienced traders to rely on for support?

The council also intend to reduce the current market space and use the railway arches as a storage facility. Less stalls = less traders = less customers = less witnesses to crimes committed. In other words a golden opportunity for criminals after a bit of easy money.

All this proposal does of offer small traders the choice of going upmarket and being thrown to the junkies and thieves or sticking to their guns and being thrown on the dole. Glasgow is desperately short of well established low rent retail space. We cannot afford to be so careless with what we have.

Online petition - Save Glasgow's Paddy's Market from Closure

'The people who come here are the poor, the unemployed, the pensioners.The people who can't afford to go to the big shops. These are also the people who vote Labour. Turn us out of here and they won't forget who did, who let them down.'

-Patsy Woodward, Trader

'It does have a personality about it that is embraced in other cities. Other cities love their flea markets. If you think of Paris or Berlin, it's part of their identity. I mean how would London be without Brick Lane? The idea that Glasgow wants to get rid of this and forget about it, I think it's sad.'

-Alex Kapranos, Franz Ferdinand

'I think if Glasgow gets rid of their flea market it will be a mistake. I can't see why they can't combine the two - stallholders keep their livings and artists have a venue as well. I think it could be promoted and could be a big success.'

- Avril Paton, Glasgow Artist

'Paddy's is no longer what it was. There are plenty of places to sell second hands goods - charity shops, boot sales. It is no longer tolerable in the city, it is a crime ridden midden.'

- Councillor Gordon Matheson

Online petition - Save Glasgow's Paddy's Market from Closure