'Moving our market could bring people back to town'

Stallholders said they hoped plans to move their market across a town centre square could attract more customers.

Ipswich Borough Council has proposed moving the town's market to a new position opposite their current location at the Cornhill.

The council said this would help increase the number of stalls at the market as well as enable improvement works to take place in Lloyds Avenue.

Michael Banson, 69, who runs the Smoking Style stall, said he hoped more stallholders would set up and in turn attract more visitors.

"I think once we've got more stalls, more people will turn up," he explained. "I think that's the most important thing, getting more stalls and bringing people down to Ipswich again."

He added: "It'll hopefully attract more stalls once they know they'll be in a position along the front, I think that's most important."

Ipswich was first granted the right to hold a market under a Royal Charter from King Edward II in 1317 and more than 700 years later, it continues to operate four days a week.

The current market sits outside the former Debenhams, but the council wants to move it to the opposite side so it instead faces Lloyds Avenue.

It said this would also provide sufficient space for delivery vehicles to access the area before 10:30 BST.

Karlos Dhariwal, 54, runs the Karlos Clothing stall and said he was "quite happy" where he was already.

But he said it was difficult to know whether the plans would work until the move was completed

"Business is up and down... the weather has been helping a bit, but there's much more bad than good at the moment," he said.

"As long as they keep us on the main High Street, that's the only way we'll survive."

Annette Harper, 54, runs the Harper Jewellery stall at the market.

"I think the move might be a good thing," she said.

"It's open to new stalls and more opportunity for new people to come, so it will make the market bigger which people will come and see.

"So I reckon that'll be a good thing."

The council is also undertaking a scheme to improve Lloyds Avenue by widening footways, new planting and landscaping, and improvement below Lloyds Arch.

It said it was still in consultation with traders and a date for the move has not yet been finalised.

But a spokesperson said it intended to progress with the relocation "as soon as possible" following completion of the consultation process.

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