A TOWN centre market revamp will be accompanied by efforts to attract more traders, with one councillor pointing out there was just one stall when she recently visited.
Shipley's outdoor market is due to undergo a multi million pound refurbishment that will see the existing fixed market stalls removed, and a new public square created.
Most of the funding is coming from the Government’s Shipley Towns Fund, and a planning application for the work is due to be decided upon in the coming weeks.
The project was discussed at a recent meeting of Bradford Council’s Regeneration and Environment Scrutiny Committee.
Councillor Anna Watson (Green, Shipley) said: “When I went there the other day there was one market trader.
“We’re doing the infrastructure, but are we doing any unified thinking about what is going to happen to support more market traders? There is no point in putting millions into the scheme if some days we just have one trader.”
Angela Blake, assistant director, economy and development, said: “We are working with the Markets department and looking at the markets in Keighley and Shipley.
“We want to get increased footfall into the markets and give the support needed to encourage more traders.
“We’re going to be doing a lot more promoting of the markets to try and attract traders back.”
She said the Council was looking at options for more “pop-up” market stalls run by people who might not necessarily want to be regular traders.
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