TOWN Clerk, Mr Royston King and senior Mayor and City Council (M&CC) officials met yesterday with some 20 vendors who ply their trade outside the old Bedford School on Bourda Street, in Georgetown.The purpose of the meeting was to inform the group that they will no longer be allowed to do business there, and will have to be relocated, since the Council was ready to go ahead with plans to

demolish the building.
Of course, this bit of unwelcome news did not go down well with some vendors, but as Mr King was at pains to explain, the situation was no longer tenable, as the derelict building posed a threat to their very existence, not to mention the lives of passers-by.
“The Bedford building,” he was quoted as saying in a statement, “has been in a state of disrepair for a number of years. The Council had issued a call for persons who have derelict structures to remove them, since they serve as a haven for criminal elements and persons of unsound mind.
“Also, these structures are an eyesore, and pose a threat to the lives of the passers-by and occupiers of neighbouring buildings.”
He also made the point that no responsible administration would allow them to operate in an unsafe environment.
“We cannot allow you to operate in an environment that will compromise your safety and health,” he said, adding that while the Council is cognisant of the socio-economic factors affecting citizens, vendors need to cooperate with the administration so that the relocation process can be a smooth one.
City Engineer, Mr Colvern Venture also weighed in on the matter, saying that vending cannot be done at the location while demolition or construction is in process, since the owner would have to erect a fence or a proper hoard, which is standard operational procedure.
Clerk of Market, Ms Simone Mc Kend-Charles perhaps saved the day by pointing out that the Council has identified two other locations which they think are suitable to vending.