YET again the "famous Bury Market" is the centre of attention in a new location proposal. Mill Gate (Westfield) have unravelled their plans for Bury and the markets relocation is essential to those proposals.

Bury Market has been on its present site for approximately 30 years and underwent a £6 million refurbishment only four years ago. There are very few vacancies and it is the traders and management who are responsible for that success, along with the market's world-wide reputation. It is essential to the retail success of Bury.

It takes years for a market to recover from the sort of relocation which took place when we moved from Kay Gardens and subsequently it took a great deal of time, effort and money to refurbish it. The traders went through some hard times and have only recently noticed a recovery. It is now very clean and looking well.

We went through all that change on the understanding that it was to secure our future. If relocation, rather than the recent refurbishment we undertook, had been an option at that time then we would have had to balance the benefits of one against the other and (who knows?) maybe the outcome would have been different.

Three questions: 1, Is the proposed site superior to the present one? 2, Would a newly-constructed market be an improvement superior to the present one? 3, Who would benefit the most from this changing of location?

I believe the present site is far superior and the vast majority of the traders and the public share that view. It is obvious the market would be at the back of the new Mill Gate shops and away from the major car parks. The market benefits from being en route from the Metro and bus station but as most of our customers still come by car we need to be close to the main car parks.

If the present site is not thought to be the best then Mill Gate should build their new shops on a superior retail site for the new market. Mill Gate have suggested that this would not be possible as it would block the route from the Metrolink to the market. Do I detect a slightly obstructive attitude by Mill Gate?

I am convinced that no better site could be found for the market than the one it now enjoys. To construct a new market from scratch must be a planners dream but it takes a long time to establish that market "feel" and would we be able to withstand any loss, even temporarily, in popularity? People know where stalls are; it functions very well. If it's not broke don't fix it.

It appears that in proposing this ambitious plan Mill Gate have everything to gain whilst the market could have everything to lose. Mill Gate risk the money but vastly increase the value of their holding in Bury. The market takes a big gamble on what many would consider to be an inferior site simply so that Mill Gate can fulfil their ambitions to compete with other towns. Bury's shops can not expect to compete with Bolton's, but certainly Bury has the advantage of a far superior market. If the market was to fail that would be unforgivable. The people who know Bury Market say leave it where it is.

The market car park would be turned into a multi-storey: 15 months of building and no car park in the meantime. It's cheap now but afterwards people would have to pay "Mill Gate" prices! The market would not have a car park to regard as its own, as it can now. Why should we give up our adopted council car park?

Mill Gate suggest they can double the present footfall if their proposals are carried out. They promised to increase the footfall by 400 per cent in the new Minden Parade development. Up to date it struggles to maintain previous figures.

Shopping centres are commonplace. Bury Market is a proven 500-year-old retail institution and doing very nicely. Surely there is no reason to risk its future just to indulge Mill Gate and their self-centred ambitions.

ANTHONY HILL,

Bury Market trader.