BINGLEY Town Council will hold a meeting to entice people to help set up a new market in the town.

The group is looking to recruit a team of volunteers, called marketmakers, to help with up to six markets to be held monthly next spring and summer in the town square.

The markets will run on a Saturday once a month from April and will be in addition to the Bradford Council-run market, held at the same location every Friday and

Saturday.

The Town Council’s market project is being led by councillors Ros Dawson and Michelle Chapman.

It needs to recruit a team of volunteers to help with the planning, preparation and to provide on-the-day support.

The initial meeting to get people on board will be held on Saturday, November 18, between 8am and 9am, at Cardigan House, Ferncliffe Road, Bingley.

Cllr Dawson, Bingley Town Council (BTC) chairman, said: “Many residents have told us they want a thriving and vibrant market in the town and it’s clear that the benefits of a popular, regular and well-promoted event would be brilliant.

“We’ve done a lot of research and come to the conclusion that we can make it work, providing we can get together a team of committed and enthusiastic volunteers prepared to roll up their sleeves.

“If we get enough volunteers to come forward, it will happen.

“We want to work with other markets held in the district, including Saltaire and Baildon, and will not run ours when theirs are on.

“The meeting is about gauging enthusiasm and how many people would be happy to come along and make this market a huge success.

“We are hoping it will bring lots of people into Bingley and will start to make a difference.”

Cllr Chapman, who has organised the stalls at the Easter and Christmas events run in the town, said: “This is a really exciting project and we are sure we can do it if the community gets behind it.

“We know there are traders keen to come to Bingley and it will be fabulous for our town if we can get this off the ground so it becomes a well-established attraction and reason to shop here.”

The BTC-run monthly markets would offer quality, fresh food and other goods, international hot cuisine, a courtyard area to eat and enjoy produce bought on the market or in Bingley’s cafes and shops as well as musical and other entertainment.

Earlier this year, BTC sent out survey forms for people to fill in about the town square market, which now has just a handful of stalls.

Organisers hoped this survey would be the first step towards revitalising it.

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The concept for next year’s market is based on the feedback from the survey in which more than 600 people took part, as well as research and guidance from the National Association of British Market Authorities, of which BTC is a member.

To sign up as a potential stallholder on the market scheme, email townclerk@bingleytowncouncil.gov.uk.