Threatened market gets fresh hope

A farmers market facing the axe after six years trading in Stourbridge could be saved at the eleventh hour – but the original organisers will not be involved.

Stourbridge Farmers Market was set to end on December 20 after a plan to close off High Street on Saturdays failed to win support. The market will have to move from its usual spot in Lower High Street when work starts to redevelop the town's Crown Centre next year. But a new company has come forward with an interest in taking over the market.

It is willing to run it at its usual spot up until work on The Crown Centre starts in June.

Meanwhile they will work to find a suitable location in the town for the market to continue – giving stallholders a glimmer of hope.

Dudley Council has confirmed there is an interest but say negotiations are still taking place but will not reveal the name of the interested company.

If talks are successful the market would begin again in the New Year.

But LSD Promotions, which previously ran the market, today confirmed it would no longer be involved.

Bosses had hoped to expand the market into an even bigger event but the refusal of the High Street closure plan had shown this was no longer an option.

The firm also had plans to move into Lower High Street rejected earlier this year after traders complained it would remove parking spaces in the town.

Spokesman Linda McGillicuddy said: "We could have continued to run a small market under the clock until work on the Crown Centre commences.

"However having tried unsuccessfully to secure a suitable location for it ready for when the works start, we made the decision to take a step back and finish at the end of the year.

"Earlier this year we were unsuccessful in our attempts for permission to move it into a section of Lower High Street and it seems there is no political will for us to move into the High Street either.

"Our decision was taken because we are not able to secure the changes we feel are necessary for the market's survival.

"We respect that those who make the decisions are acting in a way that they believe is best for the town and have no objection whatsoever to another company being asked to provide a farmers market in the new year."