IN AN attempt to keep things fresh, the Holsworthy weekly pannier market has had a change of layout — but it hasn’t been accepted by all.

One stallholder contacted the Post to voice their concerns over ‘safety issues’ as they believe the public is being put at risk now the market has been moved to one side of the square and access for vehicles has been granted — adding that they don’t believe the town council are listening to these concerns.

The mayor of Holsworthy, Jon Hutchings, responded to these remarks by saying he has had ‘nothing but positive feedback’ from the other market stallholders regarding the change in layout.

The market has always taken up the entire square of Holsworthy, with the road closed off to vehicles. But, the council decided it was time for a change to bring a fresh new take to the market, to help improve things for both market stallholders and shop keepers in the square — which was agreed upon by other market stallholders at a meeting in June.

However, after running a card stall on Holsworthy market for over seven years, Lorna Wiffen says she is ‘considering pulling out altogether’ after the recent market change around.

She said: “I have been running a card stall for over seven years and my husband has now taken over the running but there has been a card stall at the market for over 30 years and I am seriously considering pulling out altogether now.

The council has moved the market to one side of the square, allowing cars into the market area — I think it is only a matter of time before there is an accident and someone gets hurt.”

Lorna said she feels that the council has not been listening to what the market stallholders want. She said: “They have held meetings with us but I am unable to make most of those. They aren’t listening to the fact we don’t want it [the market] like this. It has been going down for a while — I didn’t even take my pitch money this week, which never happens — but this is the death nail that will end it. They don’t care, that is how I feel — I think they want it to go.”

Cllr Hutchings said he was surprised a market stallholder was saying they hadn’t been listened to. He said: “I don’t know how this individual can be saying we haven’t listened to them. We have held several meetings and been working with the market traders to make improvements. They have been given every opportunity to voice their opinions and many have.”

The council held its first meeting with market stallholders in June and since then has implemented a number of trial changes in an attempt to improve the market.

Cllr Hutchings said: “We made the first change on July 12, and said we would trial it for two months. The market traders then approached us and said it wasn’t working so after four weeks we changed it again. We are now on the sixth week and have made another change today [September 6] after we took on board the traders’ suggestions that things weren’t working.”

Cllr Hutchings said they also had to consider the shopkeepers in the square. He said: “We have also been trying to keep the shopkeepers happy, who have said that the availability of parking in the square on market day has improved things for them as well. It really isn’t true that we haven’t listened to them!

“At the end of the day we have done what we can to improve the market. If the traders aren’t happy they are welcome to come and speak to us [the council], we are happy to take their suggestions because we want to keep the market open.”