Can I have a stall?
Our most common question; the answer is, it depends. We want high quality locally sourced produce and arts and crafts, we particularly want sustainably sourced and produced products. Priority will be given to people who can offer these things, and who have something that we don't already have at the markets.
Occasionally we allow community groups or charities to have stalls to promote an offer or issue. These organisations are treated as a business and have to pay a pitch fee and have all the relevant insurances in place.
If you are not sure whether your product/service is suitable then email and ask and we can have a chat about it.
Where are the markets?
Uplands Market, Gwydr Square, Uplands, Swansea SA2 0HD.
Marina Market, Dylan Thomas Square, Marina, Swansea SA1 1TT
Mumbles Market, Dairy Car Park, Mumbles, SA2 8AQ
Who runs the markets?
Our markets are run by a single, independent company: Swansea Bay Street Markets Ltd. – a not for profit company limited by guarantee (a social enterprise) and registered in England and Wales, company number 08560047.
Do I need to get a license to trade at your markets?
Swansea Bay Street Markets Ltd. holds the license to trade in our market locations, which is provided by the Local Authority – the City and County of Swansea Council and Neath Port Talbot Council. You will be covered to trade under our license provided that we have confirmed that you have a pitch at that market and you have paid us the full pitch fee in advance. However, there are some exceptions, which our licenses do not cover - these are covered later in this document.
What time are the markets open to the public?
Uplands Market is open to the public 9am – 1pm
Marina Market is open to the public 10am – 3pm
Mumbles Market is open to the public 9am – 1pm
When can I set up?
You can set up in Uplands and Mumbles from 7.30am and Marina from 8.30am. (although, in all cases, you may have to wait whilst some of the stalls are set up) and you must clear the site in Uplands and Mumbles by 1:45pm, by 3.45pm in the Marina,
PLEASE USE EXTREME CARE WHEN DRIVING AROUND MARKET SITES, max speed 5mph, with hazard/warning lights on.
What is a pitch?
A pitch is a single square measuring 2.5m square. Some corner pitches have double frontage, but pitches generally have a single frontage. There are limited corner pitches with more people wanting them than we can accommodate usually – we will determine the allocation of corner pitches to best suit the market layout.
Do I need to bring a gazebo/table?
Pitches come with a gazebo (supplied by Swansea Bay Street Markets Ltd.). You will need to bring your own table and display equipment, and lights in the winter. The pitch coverings do not include sides/backs and you must supply these yourselves if you want them (you will find these invaluable when the weather is challenging). Due to the camber of the roads in Uplands, pitches adjacent to the kerb may require blocks to lift the front legs of tables etc. if they are to be level.
Traders should make their own provisions for these conditions.
Where will my pitch be?
Due to the popularity of the markets, we will do our best to ensure you have as appropriate a location as we can manage, but we cannot guarantee a particular pitch.
We often have to change the layout at the last minute due to changing weather, cancellations, cars left onsite and other unpredicted occurences so you must check with the market manager as you arrive onsite, they will give you a pitch number. We always try to accommodate all traders wishes but this may not always be possible.
The decision on pitch position is down to the market manager or steward and is final.
We do our best to accommodate everyone, but our decision on where your pitch is final.
How much is a pitch?
The pitch fee for Marina Market, Mumbles Market and Uplands Market is £60, If you share a pitch, it costs £35 per trader (to cover administration) at Uplands, Mumbles and Marina. Power is charged in addition to this cost at £15 per trader requiring it at Marina, Uplands, Mumbles. There is an additional fee of £15 if you wish to sell alcohol.
The costs cover one market.
Is power supplied?
The provision of power costs is additional to the pitch fee and must be agreed with us in advance. There is only limited power available and this will be allocated to stalls with essential requirements (such as a fridge). It is very important that we know what appliances you are using and how much power they consume (check the labels and stickers). It may be that we can’t accommodate your appliance.
All appliances should be PAT tested every 12 months and we reserve the right to refuse to connect any device that is obviously unfit for use, or that causes the power to trip – this includes extension leads provided by you. It is your responsibility to ensure that electrical equipment is safe for use. Electrical supplies that we provide are certified appropriate for use by a qualified electrician and have trip switches.
Traders requiring electric power must be located in certain locations in each of the markets to avoid trailing cables across public thoroughfares. Power is charged at an additional charge of £15 at all of our markets.
How do I pay?
Payments should be made by Stripe Payment via debit/credit card using the link sent by email when allocated a pitch. Payments must be recieved by 9am one week prior to, or 9am the last working day the week prior to, the market date, whichever is first.
What happens if I need to cancel?
If you cancel with 7 days or more notice, a full refund will be issued. If less than 7 days notice is given (but more than 48 hours) a fee equal to half of the pitch fee for that market will be retained by us to cover administration. If less than 48 hours notice is given, there will be no refund.
What happens if the market is cancelled due to bad weather?
If the market has started trading and has to be closed due to circumstances beyond our control, we will be unable to refund any fees. If the market is cancelled before it has been set up, your payment will be transferred to another market and if that is not possible then we will refund you. If the market is cancelled at the last minute we will endeavor to do our best to contact you (please make sure we have your current contact details).
Can I share a pitch with another stallholder?
Yes you can, although this must be agreed in advance. The cost is £35 per trader at Upland, Marina and Mumbles (this covers administration costs per trader). You must each complete a separate registration form and how you allocate space between yourselves within that pitch is up to you to agree between yourselves.
How do I register for a pitch?
All stallholders must use the online registration form. This helps us to keep administrative costs down. If this is a problem, please let us know and we will arrange to send you a hard copy.
How do I know if I have been allocated a pitch?
Registering does not guarantee you a pitch. The markets have a long waiting list and demand for stalls can often outweigh the number of available pitches. If your request is successful, we will contact you by email informing you that you have a pitch and request payment.
Please note that we often get last minute cancellations and we may contact you to offer you a stall, with little notice. We won’t be offended if you say no and saying no to a short notice pitch does not mean that we won’t ask you again in future.
How will you contact me?
Generally we contact via email.
We will use the contact details you provided us with when you registered. Please make sure you check your email/mobile etc. for any messages we may have left and please make sure to let us know by updating your details in the online registration form if your contact details change. It is your responsibility to amend these on your account should they change.
Please check your email junk fodlers.
How do you decide on who gets a pitch?
We try to be as transparent and as fair as possible. We aim to ensure a mix of stalls and activities (it is not operated on a first come first served basis) and all produce should be locally sourced/artisan (hand picked/made) in nature. Do keep in touch with us and send us product photos and news of your business etc. We have many applications and it helps us to get a feel for what you do.
What do you mean by artisan produce?
The Market wants quality ‘home made’ produce rather than ‘brand names’ – if you make it then you’re the type of person we mean. We generally don’t provide pitches to resellers of branded items.
What do you mean by local produce?
When we say 'local produce' we mean produce that originates from within the South Wales area. We want to keep the carbon footprint down, but when we say that we mean not importing from the other side of the world – in Wales is fine!
Am I allowed to bring a generator?
No, generators are not permitted – the sites are too small and the risks associated with them are too great. A small number of power points are available but only on request in advance, and only usually allocated for essential power requirements (e.g. fridges for chilled goods).
Directions and can I bring my vehicle?
In Uplands, Gwydr Square is at the very heart of Uplands on the main road thoroughfare and Mumbles takes place in a public car park (the dairy car park) - they will be closed to all public traffic from circa 6am on market dates. Vehicles can be brought on to the site for unloading and loading before and after the market. All vehicles must be removed by 8:30am at the latest in both cases and may not return to site until 1pm. Access for traders’ vehicles will be from Beechwood Road and Gwydr Crescent (no access from Uplands Crescent) in Uplands and from Mumbles Road in Mumbles, please check in with a steward to see which end of the car park you should enter Mumbles Market.
For the Marina, access from Fabian Way (from the east) is left via Somerset Place, just past Sainsbury. From the west (Oystermouth Road, Victoria Quay; don’t worry about these names), turn right just past Swansea Museum. Then, turn immediate right into Adelaide Street, left and right into Gloucester Place and the site entrance is ahead on the right. Vehicles can be brought on to the site for unloading and loading before and after the market. In the Marina vehicles must be removed by 9:30am and may not return to site until 3pm.
Whilst within the road closed areas in Uplands, the Dairy car park in Mumbles, and within Dylan Thomas Square in the Marina, vehicle speeds must be kept to 5mph or lower. Please note that members of the public may still be moving around in the road/square as will other traders and market volunteers whilst you are loading and entering/leaving in your vehicle so please drive responsibly with extra care and attention.
Where can I park?
In Uplands, there is limited parking for traders available on Gwydr Crescent, traders are allowed to park on the yellow lines within the road closure (up until the ‘road closed’ sign). You must display a ‘Parking Permission’ slip on your dashboard which can be obtained from market managers on market day. Please keep hold of the Parking Permission slips for future use. Please note, parking permissions are only valid from 6.00am until 2.30pm on market day and space is allocated on a first come first serve basis.
- Resident bays and short stay bays – are not covered by permission slips, normal rules apply.
All other parking will be ‘on street’ in the wider Uplands area
In Mumbles, there is pay and display parking available at Oysterwharf and at the Quarry car park, both of which are less than 1 minute walk from the market on Mumbles Road.
In the Marina, there is adequate parking on a Sunday in the Sail Bridge Carpark – return out along Gloucester Place, turn right at the end, then left at the bottom and you will see it.
In all cases we expect all traders to park responsibly to minimise disruption to local businesses and residents. The normal rules for parking apply and it is your responsibility to ensure that you adhere to them – we will not be responsible if you receive a parking fine.
Do I need insurance?
You are responsible for your own insurance. For Uplands, Mumbles and the Marina you will need to ensure you have £1m public liability (for any one incident) in place. If you are trading in food or drink your cover will need to be £5m (for any one incident). For all of the markets you will also need employee liability insurance cover. If appropriate you should also have Product Liability Insurance.
You are required to update your Trader Account via the Swansea Bay Street Markets website with your insurers name and your policy number and to upload or email us a copy of your insurance for our files. Please note that it is your responsibility to make sure that your details are up to date, and updated at every policy renewal.
Please note that by registering for a pitch you agree to indemnify Swansea Bay Street Markets against all actions, proceedings, costs, charges, claims, expenses and demands arising from any failure on your part to obtain the relevant licenses, insurance and consents.
The above should be kept with you and be made available for inspection. See our Terms & Conditions for further details.
Who is responsible for health & safety?
You are responsible for your own health & safety and that of your staff and customers. Please ensure you have a risk assessment in place. Keep any cooking appliances away from pitch coverings or any other flammable materials. All of your equipment needs to be made fit for purpose. Swansea Bay Street Markest Ltd. has responsibility for general health and safety on site.
What if I am selling food?
If you are selling food, you need to have spoken to the local authority’s Trading Standards Division. In Swansea the number is 01792 635600.
All food preparation premises have to be registered with the Environmental Health Office where you pay council tax. This needs to be done at least 28 days prior to trading. You are also required to have a documented food hygiene management system in place (your local authority will advise on all of this).
Do I need a Food Hygiene Certificate if I am selling food or drink?
See above. Yes you do, and this needs to be prominently displayed at each market – this is your responsibility.
What is not covered by the market trading license?
If you are selling alcohol or providing regulated entertainment, you do need a license and in such cases you would have to agree this with us in advance and provide us with evidence of your licenses. You will be asked to evidence that your business has someone with a personal licence and you will need to agree to our seperate Alcohol vendors T&C's. Contact us if you need help with this.
You should be aware that we are unlikely to have many if any stalls with such licensable activities. If you are selling age restricted products you will need to provide the market with evidence of any relevant licenses and have appropriate controls in place. It is the responsibility of the stallholders to ensure you comply with all the relevant regulations and standards for Environmental Health (and where appropriate be registered with the Environmental Health department of the Local Authority) as well as Trading Standards.
Are there any toilet facilities on-site?
Although there are no washroom facilities on site, nearby businesses have kindly offered the use of their toilet facilities for stallholders: Crumbs and The Uplands Diner.
In Mumbles, there are public toilets found in the Oysterwharf car park which is situated below the Mumbles Market site in the Dairy Car Park.
In the Marina, The National Waterfront Museum has facilities available as do local pubs and cafes.
Please note that toilets are generally not available until 9am at Uplands Market and 10am at Marina Market.
These venues may not be used for the washing of goods/utensils.
What do I do with any rubbish/waste?
Stallholders are responsible for clearing their own waste and rubbish (and disposing of it in a responsible manner). You may not use the standard refuse bins in either of the squares in Uplands or the Marina, or in and around the market site in Mumbles, nor the wheelie bins of businesses located in the square in Uplands or of the Waterfront Museum in the Marina. You must not pour fats or any other contaminated water down drains.
Can I play music?
In most cases no. If it is essential for you to play recorded music, and you have the appropriate licenses to do so, then you should discuss it with us and we may make an exception if you can provide us with copies of the relevant permissions but we are likely to refuse.
How do I contact you?
Email us at info@swanseabaystreetmarkets.co.uk we are a small team so it may take a couple of days to get back to you. Please add our email address to your contacts so our emails to you don't go into spam.
We also have a high volume of activity on our social media accounts and limited staff resources. Whilst we try our best with these, we may not see (and therefore not respond to) messages sent via Facebook, so it is always best to email and/or phone to check we’ve had a message.
Thank you for taking the time to read these FAQs. Please let us know if you have any additional queries and we will try and be of assistance.