Newcastle Council under fire over claims Christmas Market is restricting access to local businesses
Written by Amelia Anderson on 19th November 2025
A Newcastle business claims its sales dropped by 80% because of disruption caused by this year’s festive market.
Over the weekend, Priory Press – a coffee house and juice bar – posted on Instagram showing how their shopfront on Nelson Street has effectively disappeared behind two Christmas markets sheds placed directly in front of the business.
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The owner of Priory Press, Liam, told Spark Sunderland that the huts appeared last Thursday. He said: “It randomly popped up on the Thursday. We had spoken to a few other businesses and we were excited because we believed they were on the other side of the street. We didn’t realise it was going to be fully blocking us in until the Thursday and that day we found our sales dropped by 80%. It was really bad.”
To make matters worse, the business operating from the hut itself was a coffee shop. Liam said he contacted NE1, Newcastle City Council and the Civic Centre to try and find a solution but was initially told nothing could be done. “Everyone was just passing the blame around,” he added.
Social media users quickly rallied behind the small business, with one commenting: “That’s rubbish, @newcastlecouncil – the markets should add value to existing businesses, not completely restrict their trade! Sort it out!”
Inspired by the post, another independent business, Friday Vintage, also spoke out about the long-running issues with the Christmas Market.
View this post on Instagram
Laura, owner of Friday Vintage, said the period when the market is dismantled after Christmas has become so disruptive that it “wasn’t worth opening” her shop. “For the last two years I have dealt with being worse off because of the markets taking over the surrounding streets,” she said.
She described two main problems: vehicles parked directly outside her shop, and restrictions on signage. “At one point there was an excavator in front of my steps and there were customers in my shop — I had to ask them to move this digger and say this is so dangerous. There’s no concern for businesses on that terrace.”
Laura said she had contacted NE1, the council and parking officers but has not been offered support. Her next step, she said, is to escalate the issue directly with the council. “The council themselves or the company that run the market have never once approached me, neither have they ever got in touch and asked us what works. Considering we’re there all year, that seems like something that should be standard.”
Friday Vintage, which opened in May 2023, says the festive period should be one of its most profitable. “It’s just not great considering small businesses are struggling enough as it is. You’d really think they would put more effort into helping us, but it just hasn’t been the case.”
Priory Press’s sales returned to normal over the weekend, but Liam believes this is only because of the attention the Instagram post received. “Half a million people have seen the post now and everyone who came in mentioned it,” he said.
As of Monday (17th November 2025), the coffee shop that was in the Christmas market hut that had been blocking Priory Press has been moved, and NE1 has offered the unit to Liam’s business to use as a serving hatch.
A spokesperson for Newcastle City Council said they are working with NE1 to support Priory Press and that the business “remains visible from Grainger Street”, with the chalet placed in a loading bay and the footpath still clear. They said the original placement of chalets on Nelson Street was planned to connect the Christmas Market more closely with the Grainger Market, and not changed due to any business feedback. The council added that the chalet previously in front of Priory Press has now been moved and offered to the business to trade from, with NE1 providing marketing support.
Addressing concerns raised by Friday Vintage, the council said parking issues in Old Eldon Square were “unrelated to the Christmas markets” and that enforcement in the area is being prioritised. They said an NE1 representative found most vehicles blocking the shop were linked to nearby works, not the market, and confirmed that the one market-related vehicle was moved immediately. The council added that strict servicing hours are in place to reduce disruption and operators will be reminded to follow them.
Friday Vintage is based at the Hippy Green in Newcastle (3 Old Eldon Square) and sells a range of vintage clothing. Priory Press has two locations: Nelson Street and Percy Park Road in Tynemouth.
