Traders and shoppers' fury over Northampton Market move to car park on the edge of town centre

Stalls will be shifted to site next to Carlsberg Roundabout for up to two years while Market Square undergoes £8.6million revamp
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Market traders and shoppers are furious after being told stalls will be moved to a car park on the edge of Northampton town centre for up to two years.

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.

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

Commercial Street car parkCommercial Street car park
Commercial Street car park

But traders say they are "gutted" about the move amid fears it will wipe out the market.

Veteran fruit and veg stallholder, Eamonn 'Fitzy' Fitzpatrick — who has been part of the market for nearly 60 years — said: "It is going to be the biggest mistake the Tories have ever made in this town, and they've made a few.

"After all these years they're just going to wipe us out. They've got it all wrong and I'm absolutely gutted."

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Shoppers have also panned the idea with one tweeting: "That's the most stupid idea I've ever heard. Did they literally think 'where's the least accessible play for people who rely on public transport?'"

Councillor Lizzy Bowen, council Cabinet Member for Town Centre Regeneration, said: “We know many of the traders would have preferred to stay on Market Square while the redevelopment takes place, but this would cause significant delays and additional costs.

“We worked through several different options including possible relocation to parts of Abington Street, and we even looked at an empty unit in the Grosvenor Centre as a possibility.

“All of the other options would have meant splitting the market up to some degree, which would have reduced the potential footfall to each separate area.

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“Situating the whole market at Commercial Street car park will increase its visibility as it will be located at a very busy road junction. It will also allow people direct access via car.

“We will do everything we can to minimise disruption for traders during the Market Square work and we will help promote the new location as widely as we can.”

Moving stalls to the Abington Street and Wood Hill was not considered viable due to planned improvements in Abington Street and Fish Street, which is scheduled to start in 2023, while Market Square work is still in progress.

Other locations considered and ruled out included the old Greyfriars bus station, Albion Place and Upper Mounts car parks and Becket's Park.

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The Commercial Street site is about a half-mile walk from the current Market Square and on the far side of NCP-owned St Peter's Way car park from the nearest shops.

When work is complete in early 2024, the improved Market Square will see a new water feature inspired by the town’s shoe heritage, a condensed improved market including new permanent and temporary market stalls, an improved events space, new hard surfacing, lighting, CCTV, and new tree planting.