Debate on plans to expand market

The proposals by Wear Valley District Council have angered some local traders, who fear it would ruin their businesses.

But the council believes a bigger market, with more stalls offering a choice of products, would attract shoppers into the town, rather than have a negative impact on trade.

Since June, the market place, which had not been used for market stalls for years, has hosted about ten stalls every Monday.

The area's shopkeepers and cafe owners complained that the market would take their trade and force established businesses to close.

So the council chose stallholders to provide goods that were not otherwise available in Weardale, which helped to appease some of the traders.

However, the new proposals would mean using an additional site to make room for extra stands. These would allow stallholders to sell goods already sold in the area, in a bid to make it more attractive to shoppers.

The market would also be permanently switched to Friday to fall within the market officer's working week.

According to the council, consultation with traders and residents revealed that the majority of people supported the move.

More than 75 per cent of the public said they would like to see a bigger market introduced, having received it well and found it a useful extra amenity. Almost two-thirds of traders also supported the idea.

But Councillor John Shuttleworth, who represents Upper Weardale on the district council, said many traders strongly opposed the plan.

He said: "They are concerned that the stalls will take their trade away, which isn't really fair when they have paid business rates and employed people for years."

If the council's community services committee approves the proposals, at a meeting in Crook Civic Centre tomorrow, the market will run until the end of October and in the four weeks up to Christmas.

The committee will also consider ways of expanding Crook market, which is regularly full.