Market set to grow

IPSWICH market could expand out of the Cornhill if legal moves are successful.

The borough council is to seek a private parliamentary act allowing it to extend the market site along Lloyd's Avenue, the top of Princes Street, and Queen Street.

When the market moved to the Cornhill a year ago it was seen as a temporary move – but if an Act of Parliament was passed it would effectively indicate that the market will be staying in the town centre indefinitely.

That should make it easier to attract more traders to the town centre on a regular basis if they know they have a secure future.

As part of the deal, the council also plans to advertise for a full-time market operator. At present the market is run as a co-operative by the stall-holders.

The Act of Parliament would cost about £60,000 to steer through and a parliamentary agent would need to be appointed.

It would be presented to parliament in November, and would become law in July next year, allowing the market to extend from then.

Uncertainty over the market has caused it some problems – gaps have appeared among the stalls over recent months.

But current stallholders and council officials are confident that once its future is assured more people will want to set up stall in the town.

Council leader Peter Gardiner said: "This paves the way for an act of Parliament to be considered to see if we can establish an official street market.

"We are not going from 20 stalls to 40 overnight and it will take time to build it. We believe a town the size of Ipswich can sustain a market of up to 40 stalls."

Conservative councillor Stephen Barker said although he supported a move to keep the market where it was, the private act of Parliament would hit the pockets of the taxpayer.

"It's going to cost a lot of money to actually pass the bill and it's going to come out of the people of Ipswich's pockets," he said.

"I think it's a bit over-ambitious in as much as the area they are trying to put the market in."