Lokeren flea market revamped under Alderman Poppe’s rules

Lailuma Sadid
Credit: VRT

Lokeren (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Lokeren flea market will implement a new online registration system for sellers, starting later at 6 a.m., and has postponed reopening to March 2025. Alderman Sarah Pope emphasises that these changes aim to enhance organisation and reduce disturbances for residents.

The city council has talked with the police and the market organiser. They have decided to make changes to improve the flea market. They mentioned that these changes will help reduce problems for residents. One main change is a new online registration system for all sellers.

According to Alderman Sarah Poppe from the Local Liberal Party, this system will require sellers to sign up in advance. She mentioned that this will help make the market more organised and run better. With this system, the city can plan where to put the stalls. She said that it would help avoid overcrowding and ensure everything goes smoothly. The goal is to make the setup easier for everyone. 

What new rules will be implemented for the Lokeren flea market?

The council has also made a new rule about when the flea market can start. The market will not open before 6 a.m. According to the authorities, this change will help reduce the noise and activity that used to disturb residents. Starting later will make it easier for people living nearby. 

They mentioned that these changes are part of a plan to meet the needs of both the market and the community. The goal is to create a peaceful environment for everyone involved, including the event organisers and residents.

Alderman Sarah Poppe announced that the city council will add more items to the list of things that cannot be sold at the flea market. This change will help vendors know exactly what they can sell and what they cannot. She said that it is important to keep the market safe and organised by only allowing appropriate products. 

According to Sarah Poppe, by expanding the list of banned items, the city is giving more power to the market organiser. She mentioned that organizers make sure everyone follows the rules. If there are any problems, the organizer can work with the police to handle them.

“We are also going to add to the list of prohibited products,”

Poppe emphasizes.

The flea market will be closed for some time. It was planned to reopen on February 1, 2025, but now it will not start again until March 2025. They will set up new rules, a digital registration system, and an updated list of items that cannot be sold. The city council is taking these steps to make the market better for both the vendors and the local community. 

“But there are still some details we need to finish,”

Says Alderman Poppe.

“And so we have postponed the reopening of the flea market by a month. So we hope to be able to start again in early March.”

According to the authorities, the flea market at Lokeren station has been popular for many years. It attracts many visitors and vendors. A concessionaire is in charge of organizing the market. They mentioned that this group pays a fee to the city and collects stall fees from the vendors. They must also follow all the legal rules while running the market. Last year, there were complaints about some of these rules not being followed. 

The police checked the flea market after complaints were made. They found that some rules were not being followed. Because of this, the mayor decided to close the market for a short time. They mentioned that this closure will help create a new plan with clearer rules and better management. They also want to reduce problems in the nearby area.

The city has approved a winter break for the flea market. Starting this year, the market will close for two months every year in December and January. Alderman Poppe explained that these months are very cold, and fewer people come to the market during this time.

The market organizer asked for this break because of the cold weather and lower attendance. The city agreed to this change. They mentioned that the winter break will help the market avoid difficult conditions and give organizers time to prepare for the next season.

“Those are cold months with fewer exhibitors and visitors. The organizer had therefore asked to be allowed to introduce a winter break. And we approved that.”

Says Alderman Poppe.

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Brussels Morning is a daily online newspaper based in Belgium. BM publishes unique and independent coverage on international and European affairs. With a Europe-wide perspective, BM covers policies and politics of the EU, significant Member State developments, and looks at the international agenda with a European perspective.
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Lailuma Sadid is a former diplomat in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Embassy to the kingdom of Belgium, in charge of NATO. She attended the NATO Training courses and speakers for the events at NATO H-Q in Brussels, and also in Nederland, Germany, Estonia, and Azerbaijan. Sadid has is a former Political Reporter for Pajhwok News Agency, covering the London, Conference in 2006 and Lisbon summit in 2010.
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