St Albans market to relaunch with stalls and gazebos

The city council stopped putting up traditional stalls during the pandemic to reduce health risks and traders were told to bring along and erect their own gazebos

A city's twice-weekly market will be relaunched in its "hybrid form" after a row over retaining gazebos in place of traditional stalls.

Traders at Charter Market in St Albans, Hertfordshire, set up their own gazebos during the pandemic, with fears their continued use could put customers off.

The city council had suggested keeping the system, but then said the market should be a mix of both types of stall.

The new set-up will be used from 7 September, it said.

"Stalls will provide the market's central core while [35] St Albans-branded gazebos, which are popular among some traders, will be set up nearby," added the council.

"The intention is to create a harmonious look with some traders being allowed to bring their own gazebos as well as food trucks to be positioned on the fringes."

Eighty new yellow and blue stalls will replace the "bulky, run-down" stalls, which were kept in storage during the pandemic, the council added.

Pre-Covid, St Albans Market had traditionally designed stalls

It is also seeking tenders for a contractor to put up and dismantle the new stalls and gazebos.

Stallholders had assembled their own tables and gazebos during the height of Covid, to help prevent the spread of the virus.

Robert Donald, chairman of the regeneration and business committee, which finalised the plans this week, said the gazebo-only market sparked an "intense public debate".

"We will now have the best of both worlds - the reassuring sight of the return of stalls in uniform St Albans heritage colours in St Peters Street together with gazebos, some provided by us and others on the edge of the market by the traders themselves," he added.

"With these changes in place, I'm confident it will go from strength to strength in the years ahead to the benefit of all our great traders, residents and visitors."