VIDEO: Veteran trader 'Fitzy' challenges council bosses to visit Northampton Market and listen to shoppers' fury over relocation plans

A veteran market trader has laid down the gauntlet and called on council bosses to come and speak to the people of Northampton.

Market traders and shoppers have been left furious after being told stalls will be moved to a car park on the edge of Northampton town centre for up to two years.

Fruit and vegetable vendor Eamonn 'Fitzy' Fitzpatrick has called on West Northamptonshire Council's (WNC) leader Jonathan Nunn and cabinet member Lizzy Bowen to go down to Market Square this week to talk to people about the plans.

West Northamptonshire Council has identified Commercial Street car park, alongside the Carlsberg Roundabout, as their preferred site for the market once an £8.4million revamp of the Market Square gets under way in August.

Councillors insist the move will enable the whole market to be kept together.

Fitzy, who has been trading on the market for 58 years, said: "I am challenging Jonathan Nunn and Lizzie Bowen to come down to the market some time this week and listen to the people of Northampton.

"It would be in their own interest to ask people what they think of the proposals. There is so much bad feeling towards the plans, people are saying they are barmy.

"Come down here and see how people feel, they will know then. They can't ignore the people of Northampton. They can't be that stupid, but I think they are.

"I don't think they [Mr Nunn and Ms Bowen] dare come anywhere near the market."

Fitzy started a physical petition last week urging the council to make a U-turn, and it has already gained just under 1,000 signatures.

He said: "I have got a job to do. I am trying to save the market. It's sacred. It means so much to people of Northampton. I have 800 signatures on my petition so far.

"But WNC don't want the market there. It is trying to kill us off."

When deciding on the market's future, the council asked 1,000 people what they would like to see happen, which Fitzy said was "flawed from the beginning".

He said: "When it is considered that the so-called 'public consultation' involved only 1,000 people, which is less than half of one percent of the population of Northampton, it is clear that this has been at best a contrived result.

"It in no way represents the views of the majority of the people who live here in Northampton and do not want to lose their traditional market. The consultation was flawed.

"I would have got amongst the people. It was flawed, I told them that at the beginning. Just come down and talk to the people who use the market."

Well-known local historian Mike Ingram also started a petition to save the market before his untimely death in December.

When asked what Mike would think of the council's plan, Fitzy said he would be "turning in his grave".

Fitzy said: "I think he would be turning in his grave. He loved Northampton. He loved the market. He didn't want to see it spoiled by politicians. It's been through two World Wars. Even Hitler couldn't shut it down. It's ridiculous. It's been uninterrupted for hundreds of years.

"This is going on all over the country, town centre regeneration. It's slinging money away. The council thinks a few new pavements will change it. Like I said before, make parking in town free and reduce business rates.

"In two years time there will be 30 to 40 less shops in the town. It's dying. The council has got to look at why the big shops like M&S and Sainsbury's went. Sainsbury's would still be here if the council didn't move Greyfriars bus station."

WNC Leader, councillor Jonathan Nunn, has snubbed Fitzy's invitation to visit the market and provided the following response.

The leader said: “We have had pretty extensive conversations with traders over the temporary relocation and we will continue to work closely with them over the next few months to ensure a smooth transition to Commercial Street.

"We fully accept that some traders are not happy with this arrangement, but the decision was made for good reasons, which still hold true and I hope the traders will work with us to make it a success.

"Northampton deserves the very best market square it can have and that, regrettably, requires temporary relocation of the market traders.”