TRADERS and town councillors gathered together to discuss the future of Witham's market.
Despite the frosty temperatures, people concerned about the market met at the town hall earlier this month to decide how to move forward with plans to improve the market and the town centre.
Councillor Rob Williams, one of the Witham Community Interest Company directors, who helped lead Witham to win £10,000 government funding for the market project, said: "It went very well. We were expecting quite a few people to turn up but it was a bitter, miserable night."
However, a number of interested parties, including market traders and a former market inspector for Braintree district council, turned out to inform the group of their opinions on proposals to move the market into the town centre.
"They were extremely useful and extremely helpful to us," said Rob. "The issue boiled down to a few key points.
"Firstly, the traders really don't want to move to the high street because it creates a linear appearance and they are worried they would lose trade.
"Secondly, There's a health-and-safety concern – Newland Street is a fairly busy road."
While traders were happy to stay put in their current position behind the Grove Centre between Lockram Lane and Collingwood Road, they did raise concerns about the area's general appearance.
"They feel that the space they have right now would be more than sufficient if it were only tidied up and there were more stalls," said Rob, who had previously campaigned to get the market back in the high street.
"If we make the market a vibrant and thriving area and if it is advertised well, then it will work.
"I would prefer it to be in Newland Street but I'm not stuck on the idea. We need to make the market the centre of the town."
The CIC must now liaise with the town and district councils to establish how to use the £10,000 allocated funding to refresh the market space.
