Market traders key to Town Hall future

Welshpool’s market traders will be key partners in any major re-development plans for the Town Hall, the Welshpool Town Council has said.

At the latest Town Council’s Strategy, Policy & Development meeting, Cllr Morag Bailey stressed that market traders will be an important consultee as plans progress to re-develop the iconic 200-year-old building into a facility fit for the 21^st Century.

At a poorly attended public consultation day held recently, Cllr Bailey said that those who did attend were largely positive, but stressed that the market traders were those who expressed the most collective interest.

“I agree that they should be consulted in a bit more depth now that the plans are there,” said Cllr Bailey.

“It’s not that they were against it, and in fact they like what they saw, but it was stressed that nothing has been decided.”

The market traders hold regular meetings, and Cllr Bailey agreed to attend for a special discussion on the Town Hall’s future plans.

“I have agreed to go along to help with the consultation to try and get an overall picture of whether they are happy with it, and any concerns that can be addressed,” said Cllr Bailey.

“It would be wise to keep them consulted as we go along. We want the Town Hall to work for everybody, and the market traders are keen partners in that.”

Grants have been used to develop plans for how the future Town Hall could look and operate, with the Town Council keen to cut its huge running and maintanance costs and make the building more usable for the modern day.