Free park plea to save markets

Market traders in Wolverhampton today called for urgent action to halt a slump in business.They want free car parking and better public transport to bring shoppers back.

A 30 per cent drop in customers was claimed as a report to Wolverhampton City Council showed city markets heading for record losses.

Councillors will decide whether to implement a proposed three per cent rise for stalls.

Market Traders Association chairman Dud Malik said today they were fed up of higher charges without better services.

Mr Malik, who has run Superchicks for 36 years, blamed a lack of free car parking for the slumpand added: "Trade in the market has really gone down. We need at least one hour's free parking."

He said money should go on free parking instead of bringing a Hungarian market to the city.

"We feel cheated, we feel everything is going against us," he said and Barry Smith, who has run a market sweet shop for more than 30 years said stalls disappeared almost every week.

The 52-year-old said more car parking was the only way to save the industry. "The council ask us for things to do, we tell them and they go over our heads," he said.

"There are none of the younger generation. They shop in supermarkets for convenience because they have got car parks. It's getting worse and worse."

Terry O'Brien, 51, who has sold pushchairs and car seats there for three years, said it had to be saved.

Council opposition Tory leader Councillor Mrs Paddy Bradley said: "The decline in the fortunes of the city centre market has been going on for far too long and needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

"Some innovative thinking is vital to reverse the trend because losses of this magnitude cannot be allowed to continue."

Licensed traders at the city centre's 94-stall outdoor market are charged £25.65 a day. Stallholders at Bilston pay between £12 and £30 on a sliding scale of fees, based on location and trading days.

Wednesfield's High Street market charge is £17.80. Charges last went up in April by 2.5 per cent.

By Stuart Pollitt