There is no doubt that the street markets held in the city centre from time to time cause genuine consternation to the regular traders, some of whom have said that the presence of stalls outside their premises hits their trade.

Yet these events do bring additional people into the city. That was proved by last year's big European market. Shoppers flocked into town and 89 per cent of those surveyed afterwards said the market gave the city a "feelgood" factor. We certainly need that at present, given the disruption caused by the improvement work.

Unfortunately, though, a majority of traders were unhappy about the effect on their businesses, with 34 out of the 43 questioned saying trade had dropped during the market. Most of them agreed that it had been wrong to locate the market in the city-centre shopping streets and some complained that the stalls hid their shop windows.

Given this conflict between the benefits the markets bring and the problems they cause, the suggestion from Bradford Council's markets manager that Centenary Square might be considered for future such events seems a most sensible one.

It is an excellent and under-used open space right at the heart of the city. Other cities have permanent markets in squares like this (Norwich is a prime example) which enhance the overall retail experience. If Bradford was to site future visiting markets in Centenary Square it would help to create the best of both worlds, bringing more shoppers into town without cluttering access to the established shops.