Foreign nationals, aspiring entrepreneurs and even schoolchildren could be encouraged to set up shop on Spalding’s market in an attempt to breathe new life into the town centre.
Campaigners believe a “vibrant” market is the key to kick-starting a new lease of life for the town and fear the decline in the town’s Saturday market is contributing to shoppers spending their hard-earned cash elsewhere.
Traders are now hoping to take advantage of a Love Your Local Market fortnight in May – which has received £25,000 backing from the Government – to turn round the town centre’s fortunes.
South Holland district councillor Angela Newton, who is also the council’s representative of the National Association of British Market Authorities, said: “It’s true that the market isn’t what it used to be in Spalding so we are looking at ways of encouraging more people to love their market.
“Market traders do not come if no one is shopping and it is difficult to persuade shoppers to come if there are no traders.
“Spalding market is not as big as it used to be because people’s shopping patterns have changed – the things they used to get from the market are now available just as cheaply elsewhere.
“The market needs to be vibrant so we want to build it up to make it better and give people more choice.
“Spalding is a market town and we have got to fight to keep it.”
Mrs Newton and council portfolio holder for markets Coun Roger Gambba-Jones are now working closely with traders to come up with suggestions for Love Your Local Market fortnight.
It could include knock-down rates to attract potential stallholders to try their hand at market selling.
That could include foreign nationals living locally looking for a springboard to setting up a new business or young people who may not have previously considered selling at market.
Mrs Newton said: “We are hoping to draw in a whole new generation of traders and shoppers.
“A good market is essential as it attracts shoppers into the town centre.”
Coun Gambba-Jones added: “If you do what you have always done, you get what you have always had, so we need to look at what we can do to make the market more diverse, interesting and attractive.”