A radical facelift of York's Newgate Market has been proposed to spruce it up and attract more shoppers.

York's Newgate Market: revamp on cards

The heavy toll of being in use seven-days-a-week since the completion of the Parliament Street Scheme eight years ago has put the market in line for a major clean-up.

Under the proposals planned for 2000/2001, canopies and frameworks will be cleaned and repaired and a new improved layout is being discussed.

Plans have yet to be finalised but include creating a central walkway to encourage and increase customer flow to the quieter areas, resulting in the removal of six stalls to create 12 more lettable corner positions.

Dave Hall, chairman of the York branch of the Market Traders Federation, welcomed the proposals, which arrive on the back of a controversial rent rise of more than £200 a year on average.

Mr Hall, who runs a flower stall on the market, said: "Clearly we can't do anything about the rise now but we want to make it easier for market traders to meet the increases.

"We are very pleased about the plan to refurbish - it takes the sting out of the rent rise a bit...but not a lot."

Traders have also approached the council about a voluntary scheme to overpay during the busier periods of the year in order to offset this amount against their accounts during the quieter months of January and February.

Mr Hall said: "On a personal level, my rental is going to be about £1,000 a month and that is a lot of money to find on a small area stall.

"I think we are going to lose some of our smaller traders and this will be to the detriment of York."

But he stressed the relationship between traders and the council was a good one.

He said: "We would have to make sure that no market trader is displaced or gets an unfair position.

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