A clear majority of people want to see Ipswich market stay where it is when the Cornhill reopens at the end of the month – they do not want to see stalls return to the front of the Town Hall.

More than 600 of people took part in our online poll – with 60% of them opting for the market to remain in its current location at the top of Princes Street, around Giles’ Circus and with the food court in Queen Street.

That is the preferred option of Ipswich Borough Council which is the market’s landlord – and officials have told stallholders they will have to stay where they are when the Cornhill reopens at the end of the month.

Council leader David Ellesmere said the vote confirmed what people had been saying to him and other councillors that they liked the new arrangements.

He added: “Things will be better for the stall-holders once the work is finished. It will be easier to see them and access will be a lot easier as well.

“The poll reflects the positive comments we have had about the new location of the market since it moved to its current position in February and we are confident it will do even better when the Cornhill is reopened.”

Many traders were initially sceptical about the move – but some have now accepted their new positions and Giles Circus has become a hive of activity over recent months.

The Cornhill itself will be used for special events such as the Christmas lights switch-on and the Festive market – and a number of other celebrations are planned there over the next year.

And it will also be used for benches and areas for people to sit down to eat their sandwiches from Pret a Manger or other nearby stores – as well has having a water feature at its heart.

The Ipswich Society is also asking its members to say what they think about the final position of the market.

Chairman John Norman said: “If we want to have major events and festivals over weekends on the Cornhill, we could not have it always dominated by the market.

“But many of our members are still very concerned at the cost of the work and feel that the market must be allowed to return to its home on the Cornhill – they feel that the drawings produced suggest that would be happening.”