Traders share views on 'good job' market revamp

Eileen Ansar said she had concerns about access in the final layout of the new market

Traders at a market undergoing a council-funded revamp have said the improvements "look great" and should attract more visitors.

Work is underway at the bustling site in Clitheroe, Lancashire, to add stalls, paving and electrics on Station Road.

Andrew Burney, who helps run the D Burney & Son fruit and vegetables business, said "everybody I've spoken to thinks the new work looks nice", but some have raised concerns about the timing of the work.

A Ribble Valley Borough Council spokesman said the improvements had been scheduled over the quieter winter months but "unfortunately, the scale of the project means unavoidable disruption".

Sharon and her husband Derek have run Sharon's Haberdashery stall for over 40 years

The market revamp around the "bull-ring" area of the town has been the focus of debate and a petition from some market traders and town centre businesses over disruption fears, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Mr Burney said: "I don't know why there are complaints about this. As long as the work is done by Easter, it should be OK."

Fellow trader Elaine Rostron said she felt the work was needed as the market place surface was "uneven and unsafe" for people using push chairs and mobility scooters.

The work is taking place at around the former bull-ring site in Clitheroe

Eileen Ansar runs the First Avenue clothing stall and has been at Clitheroe market for 17 years.

She has some concerns about the new work what she said was a lack of drainage in the new scheme, as well as access for large vehicles like vans.

Derek Russel, who has helped his wife Sharon run Sharon's Haberdashery, said the new market looked "visually good".

But he also raised fears about the logistics of large vehicles entering the site, and said "it could be mayhem".