COUNCIL chiefs say Radcliffe Market must improve in the next 12 months, after suffering a severe decline less than two years after a £1 million refurbishment.

While the closure of the market is not currently being considered, traders fear that a failure to increase footfall and the number of stalls in the next year could leave their future in doubt.

Bury Council says it will be working with the few remaining stallholders, as well as local residents and businesses, to come up with a plan to rejuvenate the ailing market, which is open four days a week.

Castlefield Events, which runs Farrars Café at the market, has already put forward proposals to bring more food and drink stalls into the town centre building.

Cllr Rishi Shori, leader of Bury Council, said: “Bury Council is committed to Radcliffe Market, having spent almost £1 million refurbishing it only two years ago.

“We have not set any time scales for the market to improve the number of stalls, but we do want to see an improvement over the next 12 months.

“We are working with existing stallholders and business owners to devise a strategy to encourage more businesses to locate there in the run-up to the busy Christmas period.

“One of the stallholders has put forward some detailed proposals which they believe will rejuvenate the project.

“We are actively looking at the proposals and hopefully we will make some progress with that over the next few weeks.

“Fundamentally, if the market is going to improve, it will need the support of the Radcliffe public and I would encourage them to do so.”

The refurbished market – which boasted 34 stalls – reopened in December 2014, but only nine businesses now remain, occupying a total of 15 stalls.

Stallholders have this week criticised rules forcing traders to take 12-month leases on stalls and banning the sale of second-hand goods.

Brendan Farrington, who runs the Rapid Repairs stall, says traders feel “abandoned”, but has backed the council to turn things around.

He said: “The first thing I asked Cllr Shori when I met with him was whether there were plans to shut down the market, and he said 'no'.

“He was very sympathetic to what I was saying and I think he is determined to make the market work.

“My complaint is that there has been a lack of management. We feel like we have been abandoned.”

He added: “I would definitely support any plans the café has to make sure we are using the market well and I am hopeful that the council will get into gear.

“But if in 12 months’ time we are still in the situation we are now, things will obviously have to be looked at again.”

Traders have also been left frustrated by delays in announcing a new budget supermarket due to move into the old bus station site in Dale Street, which it had been hoped would increase footfall through the market hall.

Jodie Bannister, of Castlefield Events, said: “The market is struggling but the cafe is actually doing pretty well.

“We get a great crowd of customers coming in and we want Radcliffe Market to be a really amazing space for the town.

“That is what I am working towards with a view to getting some really good quality stalls in there permanently.”