A ROW has broken out over the placement of a newly introduced farmers' market in Weymouth.

Butcher Dennis Spurr, who has recently resigned as a Weymouth BID director says that when the market was proposed by the BID it was going to be further down into the town closer to Iceland, and not at its current pitch in Bond Street, close to Debenhams.

He said the BID had taken the ‘easy option’ in putting the market close to Debenhams and more should be done to get visitors into the whole of the town.

Mr Spurr said his comments were not ‘sour grapes’ as none of the stalls were competition for his shop.

Speaking about his resignation, Mr Spurr said that he joined the BID Board to try and give something back to the town but that the BID didn’t seem to be interested in discussing his ideas – including creating a Village- with different quadrants, like the town centre and the harbour, that would encourage visitors to flow around the town from quadrant to quadrant.

He said: “I have worked here for 20 years, I love Weymouth, I love the Weymouth people. I’m always up to mischief and like to make people smile. I joined the BID to give my ideas. They have not taken me up on it.”

He added: “They are not really interested in my ideas. It seems to be more about online.”

Mr Spurr said he had never been happy with the idea of the Farmer’s Market being all in the Bond Street area and said the BID should be pushing trade into other areas of the town as well.

BID Chairman Steve Newstead said that the sighting of the farmer’s market was the most logical place for it and it had been outlined in the BID business plan that Mr Spurr had agreed to.

He said: “We have a business plan, we have directors on the board that make decisions. Mr Spurr was one of the directors and he agreed for the Farmers’ Market to come to the town.”

He said that the first Farmers’ Market had gone very well and there had been lots of positive feedback. He said the market would continue for six months on contract and if it goes well they would look to extend it.

He added that the BID were open to all ideas that would improve the footfall into the town.

He added a thank you to Mr Spurr for his time on the board.

He said: “It’s unfortunate that Dennis has decided to leave the board. I’d like to say thank you for all his hard work over the time he’s been part of the BID Board.”