Market move to help kick-start excitement in town - council

Northampton's market has reopened in its temporary home of the town's Commercial Street car park

A council said its decision to temporarily move a historic market in an £8.5m revamp was part of a plan to "kick-start excitement" around the town.

Northampton's market has opened at the Commercial Street car park on the edge of the town centre, having shifted from the Market Square.

Some traders have said the move, which could be for two years, would result in a loss of business.

But Daniel Lister, from West Northamptonshire Council, said it was putting in "as much support as we can to get people down" to the temporary location.

West Northamptonshire Council cabinet member Daniel Lister said the move was necessary for the Market Square revamp

The Conservative authority's cabinet member for economic development, town centre regeneration and growth told BBC Radio Northampton: "The Market Square change is just one part of it. [It] is the catalyst to really try to reinvigorate and rejuvenate what we've got in the town.

"There are so many bits coming forward, so many different part of this puzzle, within Northampton that will really kick-start that excitement around Northampton that has been lost."

The historic market could be on the edge of town car park for up to two years

The council, as part of a group called Northampton Forward, won an £8.4m grant from the government's Future High Streets Fund.

Plans for the market, which dates back to 1235, include a new water feature, public seating, a lighting scheme and a reduction in permanent market stalls, with temporary ones taking their place.

'Struggle to make a living'

Stall holder Joe Fitzpatrick was worried customers would not follow the market to its temporary location

Joe Fitzpatrick, who runs a fruit and veg stall, said: "We don't know what's ahead of us, and we've got to earn money.

"We're not on salaries, what we take through the tills and [after] we pay our suppliers, there's a little bit left to pay our wages, and if there's none to pay our wages we can't trade down here any more."

He added traders had been "thrown down here and I think we're going to struggle to make a living".

'We'll have to give it a go'

Market worker Dave Dunkley hoped the move would lead to improvements in the long-term

Dave Dunkley, who has worked on the market for 20 years, also runs a fruit and veg stall.

He said the move to the Commercial Street car park would "work as long as we get the support from the public".

"A lot of our old customers have said they will come down," he said.

"We'll have to give it a go and try to make it work."

He said the market 10 years ago was "thriving".

But he said it was "down now to the bare minimum" with about "10 or 11 stall holders".

"To make it work we've got to get old and new traders to the market," he said.

Mr Dunkley added "only time will tell" whether the temporary move and renovation work would help the market.