| Newbury could end up losing 1,000 years of tradition if no home can be found for the town’s market. With Conservative-run West Berkshire Council likely to order a £900,000 revamp of the Market Place, the hunt is on for a temporary location for the twice-weekly collection of stalls.
Initial ideas from the council suggested the Wharf, but traders remember the loss of income they incurred when the council last spent £400,000 revamping the Market Place seven years ago. This is now understood to have been ruled out.
Another option is opposite St Nicolas’ Church in Bartholomew Street, but shopkeepers there recently raised concerns about the French markets held there, when retailers lost up to half their normal takings. Nature’s Corner co-owner Liz Chandler told West Berkshire Councillor Emma Webster, at a recent meeting of Newbury Retail Association, that deliveries and access were more difficult when this market was on.
Meanwhile, Northbrook Street is to be resurfaced in the first half of next year, but the hours of pedestrianisation don’t suit the traders, and it’s likely shopkeepers there would complain about delivery access for the courier companies who have to make their drops before the 10am vehicle ban.
Additionally, Newbury Buses have concerns about a market blocking their main bus route, and the police are privately concerned about whether they can still monitor the street effectively on CCTV with market stalls in their line of sight.
Newbury Town Council is in favour of transferring the market to the Cheap Street car park, as delays to the long-awaited cinema drag on. At the moment, this seems the least controversial option.
Market trader Steve Brind is meeting Cllr Webster on Tuesday to discuss the options further. | 
