TRADERS have told Wellington Town Council that it made the wrong decision in moving the location of the street market with one businessman telling councillors he only took £32 on what should have been a busy Saturday.

It was in July last year when the council’s town centre committee agreed to support an idea to move the monthly market to a new location after some traders in South Street, which had previously been home to the stall-holders, said they were struggling for business when the market was in town.

But now that the market has moved to the High Street, traders in that location have also complained about a drop in trade.

Traders attended the council’s monthly meeting on Monday (March 4) where they spoke of their disappointment at the authority moving the market from South Street to the High Street.

Nigel Burrows, who opened a locksmith shop in January in the High Street, told councillors that the market on February 24 had had a “severe impact” on a number of businesses.

“Like other businesses that have retail shops within the town, I rely on footfall, passing traffic and the connection we have with the local community,” he said.

“On that day of the market the road closure meant no passing trade and a significant drop in the number of people coming into my shop. As a consequence my takings were down by 90 per cent at only £32 for the day – with just two customers. That’s not sustainable.”

Mr Burrows added: “I know that this was also felt by other High Street shop owners, which was unsurprising, considering there was a barista and cake trailer outside Odette’s Tea Room; two cake and donut stalls outside House of Cake; and a dog chew and treat stall opposite the pet shop.”

Mr Burrows said it was hardly surprising that the same disruption caused to South Street traders when the market was in their street was now being experienced by traders in the High Street with market stalls outside their shop doors.

“The street market is organised by a business from Exeter and the stalls that they brought into town that day represented direct competition to many of our existing shops,” he said.

Charlotte Beatty and her mum, Maxine Price, of The Nook & Cranny shop, which provides spaces for lots of different traders, also complained about the relocation of the market.

“To shut the High Street off all day for just 13 stalls is not good,” said Charlotte. “We’re not against the market because it could be fantastic, but it needs to be looked at.

“We rely a lot on passing trade and we’d support the market, but it needs an overhaul.”

And Maxine added: “The market should be a big positive for the town, but the positioning of the stalls was stupid.”

Councillors thanked traders for speaking to them and said the market issue would be discussed at the council’s town centre committee meeting on Tuesday (March 12).