Market at risk as move blocked

The future of Stourbridge's popular market has been thrown into doubt after traders blocked a plan to re-site it in Lower High Street, saying the move would rob the town of car parking.

Dudley Council and LSD Promotions, who run the twice monthly events, had developed the proposal in preparation for when development work begins on the Crown Centre next year.

Currently the market, which brings hundreds of extra shoppers into the town, takes place between the entrance to the Crown Centre and the start of Coventry Street. But town bosses say when redevelopment of the shopping precinct begins, the market will not be able take place there or have to downscale to the point it is no longer viable.

They had hoped to move the market down into Lower High Street with stalls set up along one side of the road, where people can park their cars for an hour.

But the plan has now been scrapped after a wave of protest from traders who said the car parking spaces could not be lost, especially at the weekend.

Stourbridge town centre manager Matt Caddick said they were now looking at other options of how to continue holding the market when the work begins. "When redevelopment begins on the Crown Centre the current area for the farmers' market will be unsuitable," he said.

"Therefore we have been looking at ways to expand it into other parts of the town centre and the most suitable option seemed to be in Lower High Street. However we have not been able to secure sufficient support from the businesses in Lower High Street to proceed.

"It is a very popular attraction which we are keen to retain but if it contracts to a point where it becomes unviable then we may risk losing it."