Mayor Coppard hears how Birley tram hole has impacted Crystal Peaks market traders
"If we’re causing anyone a problem up there, it's our responsibility and we'll take that very seriously and do what we can to help people out"
The Mayor of South Yorkshire is due to make a plan to support market traders in the run up to Christmas after meeting them at Crystal Peaks shopping centre today (Friday, November 13).
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Mayor Oliver Coppard met long time traders and the centre manager to hear their concerns about Christmas sales, after a hole was discovered under the tram route that serves the shopping centre near Beighton.
The historic mine shaft at Birley Lane appeared in August and is not due to be fixed until next year, leaving trams suspended at the end of the blue route.
Customers travelling from Sheffield currently have to get a replacement bus from Gleadless Townend to Halfway, which had raised concerns over the impact on Christmas trade at Crystal Peaks.
Mayor Coppard said: "I went up there to listen, to learn and to understand a bit more."
He explained he heard different perspectives from different traders but said: "Clearly there are challenges. Clearly there are some traders who feel that the tram being down has caused them an issue. Others say it hasn't caused them a problem.
"Some people will experience that differently depending on what sort of business they have, what sort of customers they have."
On behalf of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, he said: "If we’re causing anyone a problem up there, it's our responsibility and we'll take that very seriously and do what we can to help people out."
Mayor Coppard said Sheffield City Council runs the market place at Crystal Peaks and it would have to be involved in any solution, but he had "different ideas" of how to help traders in the run up to Christmas.
He said support could come in different forms but his team would make a plan "as quickly as we can" to give "all the support we can offer to offset any challenges because of the tram problem".
"Some people said they just wanted more publicity. Some people said they wanted us to be able to just showcase their businesses a bit better," he explained.
"We want to make sure we're helping people wherever we can and supporting some brilliant people who are running brilliant businesses."
Mayor Coppard said he would be supporting Crystal Peaks traders in the run up to Christmas and encouraged others to do the same.
"There's a new Pokémon card stall in the market. There's jewellers," he said.
"We had a brilliant chat with some of the people selling cards and balloons and decorations for Christmas.
"There was a brilliant sweet shop up there, which sold all sort of traditional sweets. I maybe spent a little bit too much money in that one.
"If you're going to go to Crystal Peaks, make sure you check out the market."