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Chris West announces plan to move Herne Bay market from King's Road to Mortimer Street on May 3

The new Herne Bay Saturday market is set to move to the town centre on May 3, Canterbury City Council has revealed.

The proposed relocation from the King’s Road car park to Mortimer Street and William Street will see 26 new stalls setting up shop.

The council’s coastal towns manager Chris West said: “I think it will give a whole new dimension to the market.

The girl was found staggering down Mortimer Street. Picture: Barry Duffield
The girl was found staggering down Mortimer Street. Picture: Barry Duffield

“It will increase the visibility and hopefully generate far greater footfall in the town centre. Along with the new business opening on the pier the two should complement each other.

“There will be a much better offering for Herne Bay and be a better package for visitors with more things to do.”

The council had originally planned to have the new market in place in April ahead of the busier summer period.

Coastal towns manager Chris West believes the market move will give Herne Bay a "new dimension"
Coastal towns manager Chris West believes the market move will give Herne Bay a "new dimension"

After careful negotiations with town centre businesses there will be new market stalls offering items like fruit and veg, clothing, fine foods, plants, flowers and much more.

Traders will trade from both sides of their stalls with new green and white striped gazebos to match the colour scheme in place for Canterbury market.

They will be allowed to use their vehicles to set up early in the mornings and then to replenish stocks if necessary.

But in Mortimer Street the brick shrubberies and plants and benches will have to be removed to make way for the new stalls.

Benches and brickwork in Mortimer Street and William Street will have to be removed
Benches and brickwork in Mortimer Street and William Street will have to be removed

Down to Earth shop owner Stan Truelove is wary of the move. He said: “They invested lots of money to make it a nice shopping precinct all those years ago. But now all that money will be wasted.

“It’s going to cost them an estimated £10,000 to remove the brick plants. So for six days a week it will go back to looking like a mess.

“I think they should have used the bottom half of Mortimer Street, which would allow people to walk on to local shops without it clashing.”

The council now plans to drum up support for the new move with a Market Fun Day to launch the new plan.

What do you think?

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