MARKET stallholders are being moved to smaller premises on Sunday. To make way for redevelopment work, the butcher, fishmonger and fruit, veg and flower stalls are being temporarily relocated to the French Halles in Market Street.

But fruit, veg and flower stall owner Stephen Hackley said that points raised to the developer about access and parking for the new development had fallen on deaf ears.

One issue in particular is that once the Markets are finished, the butchers, fruit, veg and flower stall and the fishmonger will be moved back in further down the hall to make way for the Co-op at the top.

‘They’re squashing us into a little corner,’ he said.

‘The idea with a market is that you can walk through it, but the Co-op is going to be a barrier. How easy is it going to be for people to get in? There is not a lot of give and take – they’re just taking.’

Mr Hackley was also not convinced that they would be in their temporary home for only three months. He said that he was expecting to be there at least until the beginning of next year.

He added that they were given no choice about where were moving.

‘It’s a bit frustrating.

‘The French Halles is a nice spot but it’s not big enough for us – we’re going to be squashed up in there.’

He said that to make matters worse, the road would be shut for up to six weeks from Monday.

‘We only found out about the roadworks this week. It was sprung on us. It’s not going to make it easy for deliveries.’

He hopes, however, that his business will benefit from being at its new, temporary location.

‘It makes things difficult for us but it could make us more busy because there will be more passing trade.’

E. Lucas Fish Market owner Monty Vaudin said that it was the first time that the business had changed location since it was founded in 1916.

‘It’s going to be strange to move,’ said Mr Vaudin, who has worked for the company for 30 years and owned it for the last six.

‘We’re all going to have to scale down to fit in. It’s going to be awkward for deliveries and pick-ups.’