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Northampton Market Revamp on Show
Tuesday 17 February 2009
Models of what Northampton's new-look Market Square will look like will go on display in the town this week.
Northampton Borough Council first revealed plans to alter the layout of the historic square in July last year.
The move will see the number of permanent stalls on the square reduced and the current entertainment area expanded, so more regular events can be held.
The new layout has angered traders, who have claimed pushing them half way up the square will give the impression the market is failing.
So far, the traders have got more than 9,500 signatures on a petition opposing the new layout.
The chairman of the Northampton Market Traders' Association, Mick Wilson, said: "Whatever we traders suggest, the council seems to take no notice of us.
"But, hopefully, some of the thousands of people who've signed the petition will come out and support us when the plans go on show."
Plans for the new-look square will be displayed on the market from tomorrow until Saturday.
The leader of the council, Councillor Tony Woods (Lib Dem, St Davids) said he hoped people would realise the council was trying to improve the market when they saw the latest plans.
He said: "We want the market to be successful, but we also want the Market Square to be a place that people want to go to when the market is there and when the traders have gone home.
"I hope that, with the plans people see later this week, they will see how we want to achieve that."
He added: "The argument that we want to destroy the market could not be further from the truth."
The move will see the number of permanent stalls on the square reduced and the current entertainment area expanded, so more regular events can be held.
The new layout has angered traders, who have claimed pushing them half way up the square will give the impression the market is failing.
So far, the traders have got more than 9,500 signatures on a petition opposing the new layout.
The chairman of the Northampton Market Traders' Association, Mick Wilson, said: "Whatever we traders suggest, the council seems to take no notice of us.
"But, hopefully, some of the thousands of people who've signed the petition will come out and support us when the plans go on show."
Plans for the new-look square will be displayed on the market from tomorrow until Saturday.
The leader of the council, Councillor Tony Woods (Lib Dem, St Davids) said he hoped people would realise the council was trying to improve the market when they saw the latest plans.
He said: "We want the market to be successful, but we also want the Market Square to be a place that people want to go to when the market is there and when the traders have gone home.
"I hope that, with the plans people see later this week, they will see how we want to achieve that."
He added: "The argument that we want to destroy the market could not be further from the truth."
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