Farmers' markets gives the opportunity to buy fresh and quality local produce. The local authority provides a list of farmers market in the area.

There is a regular farmers’ market held once a month in the Maltings, Berwick-upon-Tweed, however this is NOT organised by Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council. For further details please contact the Maltings – 01289 330999.

Please see below for the Charter Market Rules and for an application form.

The Berwick-upon-Tweed Charter Market is held on Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout the year as well as other days during May. The market is located in Marygate, Berwick-upon-Tweed and opening hours are generally from 9.00am – 4.00pm. The market sells a variety of goods ranging from fruit and vegetables, household goods, clothing, toys etc.

The terms of Royal Charters issued by Kings John and James entitle traders to operate from a market on Wednesdays and Saturdays in Marygate, as well as other days during May.

 As a result of the establishment of this market, common law provides protection to the operators from rival markets for a distance of 6 2/3 miles from the site of the Charter Market.

 Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council operate and benefit from the operation of the Charter Market and are therefore entitled to exercise the protection rights.

 The Borough Council have agreed not to exercise their rights when a rival market is operated within the area of protection, but which is designed to benefit the local community and where the market operator has received permission from the Council in advance.

Charter Market Rules

In the implementation and supervision of the following Street Market Rules,

the decision of the Market Superintendent is final on that day. Complaints and appeals should be in writing addressed to the Principal Environment Health Officer.

1.0 DEFINITIONS:

In these Rules:

• “the Council” means the Council of the Borough of Berwick-upon-Tweed.
• “the market” means the area of Marygate, Berwick-upon-Tweed reserved for market use on market days;
• “market days” means every Wednesday and Saturday and, with the exception of Sunday, the days of the May Fair;
• “market hours” means the hours designated by the Council for the holding of the Berwick-upon-Tweed Street Market;
• “the Market Superintendent” means the person appointed by the Council to exercise the duties of general management of the Berwick-upon-Tweed Street Market;
• “Regular Stallholder” means a stallholder whose name is included in the Register of Regular Stallholders maintained by the Market Superintendent,
• “Casual Stallholder” means a stallholder whose name is included in the Register of Casual Stallholders maintained by the Market Superintendent;
• “pitches” means those areas of the market which are allocated to Stallholders on a daily basis on market days and which comprise one or more stalls;
• “doubling-up” means the use of a single stall by two or more stallholders.

2.0 GENERAL

2.1 No stallholder shall display, offer for sale or sell any goods or articles whatsoever on the market on market days except in accordance with these rules;

2.2 Stallholders shall comply with all directions relating to Berwick-upon-Tweed Street Market issued to them by the Market Superintendent which do not conflict with these rules;

3.1 Unloading: permitted only between the hours of 6.00 am and 9.00 am on market days, regular traders not in attendance by 8.30 am will forfeit right to occupy pitch unless notification has been received by the Market Superintendent with a reasonable explanation for their late attendance;

3.2 Loading: permitted only between the hours of 4.00 pm and 6.00 pm on market days;

3.3 Stallholders shall complete the unloading/loading of their vehicles as expeditiously as possible and with the minimum obstruction to other stallholders, vehicles or persons;

3.4 No stallholder’s vehicle shall be permitted within the market between the hours of 9.00 am and 4.00 pm without the express permission of the Market Superintendent.

4.0 LETTINGS AND ALLOCATIONS

4.1 The decision of the Market Superintendent with regard to allocation of pitches and stalls to stallholders is final;

• Casual stallholders may be allocated any pitch which in the judgement of the Market Superintendent is not required by a regular stallholder on a market day;
• The Market Superintendent will reduce the size of the market, during quiet periods, at his discretion.

5.0 ATTENDANCES

5.1 Attendance points shall be awarded to regular and casual stallholders at the rate of one point per market day attended to be evidenced by a receipt issued to the stallholders by the Market Superintendent;

5.2 The attendance points aggregated to the credit of individual stallholders, upon which the allocation of pitches and determination of stallholders’ status (regular or casual) is based, shall be differentiated in respect of attendance at Wednesday markets from attendance at Saturday markets and shall accrue independently without benefit of assignment or exchange.

5.3 Attendance by a regular stallholder and, when allocated a pitch, a casual stallholder shall be evidenced by a minimum of three hours trading or such other period as may be agreed by the Market Superintendent.

6.1 Every stallholder shall supply their full name (including trade name, if any), address and other relevant trading details to the Market Superintendent and shall at all times during occupancy of the stall conspicuously display their name upon the stall in such a position as shall be approved by the Market Superintendent. ID badges to be obtained from the Council free of charge, replacement badges to be at cost to stallholder;

6.2 No vehicles or mobile stalls shall be used for trading purposes in the market on market days without the express permission of the Market Superintendent;

6.3 Only stalls approved by the Market Superintendent shall be permitted to be erected in the market on market days;

6.4 Only canopies approved by the Market Superintendent shall be used by stallholders within the pitch allocated to them provided that in adverse weather conditions stallholders may install such additional protective canopies, awnings or screens over or around goods and articles as may be agreed by the Market Superintendent;

6.5 Stallholders shall not permit or cause any goods, articles, receptacle or container whatsoever to project into gangways, passageways or footpaths so as to obstruct public passage or in any other manner to extend beyond the periphery of their stall;

6.6 Stallholders shall not willfully obstruct, disturb, interrupt or annoy any person in the proper use of the market or the environs thereof;

• Stallholders shall not cause annoyance within the market by ringing any bell or blowing any horn or use or cause to be used any other noisy instrument or amplifier or loudspeaker to attract the attention or custom of any person to any sale or to any goods intended for sale,
• That any stallholder attracting the attention or custom of any person to any sale or to any goods intended for sale by use of any amplifier or loudspeaker shall adjust the volume of sound to a level considered reasonable by the Market Superintendent.
• Stallholders whose goods consist wholly or partly of food products shall obtain prior approval from and accord with the directions of the Director of Environment of the Council in respect of standards for food hygiene and shall comply with relevant provisions of the Food Safety Act 1990 and other applicable legislation.

7.0 LITTER

7.1 Stallholders shall keep their pitches and stalls clean, tidy and generally free of litter;

• Litterbins shall be provided for the use of stallholders who shall employ adequate measures to prevent an accumulation of litter in the market or an escape thereof onto the highway or surrounding property.

8.0 PARTNERSHIPS

8.1 The creation of a Partnership by a stallholder must be registered with the Council by notice in writing addressed to the Borough Solicitor. For a period of one year after such a registration, attendance points will be awarded only upon attendance at the market on market days for the purpose of trading of the partner to whom the pitch had originally been allocated.

9.0 RENT

9.1 The rent payable by a stallholder in respect of a pitch shall be calculated on a ‘per square foot ’basis at the rate determined by the Council;

9.2 Rent shall be collected from stallholders by the Market Superintendent between 11.00 am 1.00 pm each market day or at such other time during market day as he may deem appropriate, payments whereof shall be evidenced by an official receipt issued to the stallholder;

9.3 Rent payments shall be made by stallholders on demand to the Market Superintendent or other person duly authorised for that purpose by the Council.

10.0 INSURANCE

10.1 Every stallholder shall arrange and maintain a policy of insurance against public liability and third party claims in the sum of £5,000,000.00 for any one incident and shall indemnify the Council against any such claim. The policy of insurance together with the receipt for the current premium must be made available for inspection by the Market Superintendent or other person duly authorised for that purpose by the Council.

11.0 PENALTY POINTS SYSTEM

11.1 Points can be imposed on any trader.

11.2 Where more than one trader contributes to the commission of a breach points may be imposed against each licence holder.

11.3 Points remain “live” for a period of 12 months from the date of issue.

11.4 Traders will be suspended when the following points levels are reached:-

• 3 “live points” – 2 market days.
• 6 “live points” – 4 market days.
• 9 “live points” – exclusion for 12 months.
• Serious offences – permanent exclusion.

11.5 An appeal is available against the imposition of penalty points within 7 days of the date the points were awarded. Any appeal must be in writing on a form prescribed by the Authority and contain the reason(s) for the appeal;

11.6 Any Hearing will be within 7 days from being received by the Authority, suspension will not take place until the Hearing has been decided;

11.7 An appropriate officer and an elected Member from the Charter Market Advisory Group will hear the Appeal.

Application for Permission to Operate a Market Within 6 2/3 Miles of Berwick Charter Market

Stalls

The Berwick-upon-Tweed Charter Market is held on Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout the year.

The majority of stallholders are regular attendees but casual stallholders are welcome if space is available.

Applicants must provide their own stalls.

Cost of pitch hire is on a per square foot basis dependent upon the time of year.

Summer (April – October): 0.24p per sq foot (minimum charge of £20.00)

Winter (November – March): 0.10p per square foot (minimum charge of £10.00)

For details of insurance requirements etc., please see Charter Market Rules.