l Continued from page 1 among traders that the patience of regular patrons would be sorely tested until the situation was resolved. ?Our customers need to know the story, they have been absolutely brilliant in supporting us up to now,? he said. At a properties committee meeting on January 31, councillors discussed reversing the policy outlined in its performance plan, which says markets of all kinds should be held in the market hall not in the Charter Hall. Okehampton mayor Cllr Tony Leech said there were already bookings in the Charter Hall for at least five of the eleven remaining third Saturdays this year. He therefore felt this would not have made for a satisfactory arrangement. ?I believe they [the traders] need to have a permanent solution to this, rather than a here today, gone tomorrow type of situation,? he said. He suggested more permanent alternatives could include the possibility of finding another venue or holding an outdoor street market. Cllr Leech said he understood there was some opposition to this among traders but he said provided ample covered shelter was made available, he believed the idea might be viable. ?It is up to them [the traders] to put together a scheme for us to consider on its own merits,? he said. Cllr Leech said he had sympathy for the traders, and had hoped it would have been possible for the farmers? market to come to ?some kind of compromise? with them. But as the farmers? market hired the hall, it was up to their committee what they did once they had secured the booking. He understood the traders were resigned to not being able to hold a pannier market on the third Saturday of this month (February 19) but he hoped they would look into all other possible options. The town council previously apologised to market traders after they were forced to vacate their stalls at short notice last November to allow a Christmas charity fair to take place. The market hall was built at the turn of the 20th century at a cost of £1,600. Okehampton was given the right to collect market tolls and franchise markets within the town when it was granted a charter in 1219 by Robert Courtenay.
