Blackburn market future plans

But stallholders on Blackburn Market have given the idea a mixed response, with the chairman of the traders' association claiming the idea is a fantasy".

The existing market hall in Penny Street is due to be demolished and a new £5million facility built on the site of the TJ Hughes store in Church Street under a massive redevelopment of the town centre.

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council bosses have revealed they want the new market to be six-day a week rather than three days, to have more "high-quality" food outlets and "better balance" of stalls.

They have also warned existing traders that as the new facility will be two thirds the size, a number of them will not get a place in the new development.

But market traders' association chairman Chris Appleby claimed there had been a lack of "meaningful" consultation with stallholders over the plans.

He claimed that while councillors and officials promoted the concept of a "high quality" market, their ambitions did not tally with the shopping habits of customers.

Mr Appleby said: "These people live in a complete fantasy world. If there are people who are shopping for high-quality food then they are already doing it elsewhere. The only reason people will come to Blackburn is if the offer is better."

He questioned proposals to insist that more than 50 per cent of traders on the new market will be food retailers. He said: "People on the three day market, like greengrocers, butchers and the cheese stalls, are struggling desperately to survive."

Keith Pickup, 48, of Pickup Butchers, said: "Hopefully the move will be more successful but in my opinion it won't attract more customers. ."

A spokesman for the Cheese Stall said: "For the first few weeks more customers will go as it will be a novelty, but after that the customers will die down."

But Andrew Lightfoot, the council's regeneration director, said he was confident would make the market, which is expected to open by 2009, a success.