Electricity bill relief for Shrewsbury Market Hall traders
Relieved stallholders in Shrewsbury may not have to pay hefty electric bills following repair work to the town's ageing market hall.
Market traders, some of whom have been based in Shrewsbury Market Hall for decades, were worried when it was announced they may have to foot the bill for any repair work carried out on their units.
Some stalls have now already had electrical work carried out but have not been faced with hundreds of pounds worth of repairs as was initially feared.
Traders said today it was business as usual.
Mr Melvyn Ling, of Appleyards Cook and Carve, said: "I think it was an initial shock when we first found out but we take it on the chin.
"What else can you do, we certainly won't be leaving because the market hall is our livelihood and if you are earning a living it isn't a really big problem.
"These are our units and if we have to pay then we have to pay.
"We have been trading from here for years, we are family businesses and we aren't about to just up and leave."
Property Consultants Jones Lang LaSalle had previously written to the traders telling them that the 50-year-old building's main supply is in need of testing.
If any faults are found, traders will have to pay for repairs to be done, but so far no stall has received excessive charges.
Market Hall manager Kate Gittins has been negotiating with contractors for weeks in the hope that her tenants will not be out of pocket.
She said: "We were really hurt by reports that traders may be leaving.
"This market is a brilliant place and people come from all over the world to see the stalls here.
"Stallholders are expanding their premises and doing really rather well."
Noreen Maddox, who has run the market buffet for 46 years, still has people return to the cafe from all over the world to sample her famous cake.
She said: "We are still at the very beginning of these tests, nothing has been decided.
"I think the situation has jumped the gun, only this morning I had someone come from South Africa to try my pineapple cake having visited Shrewsbury years ago and the community here is wonderful.
"The market is a vibrant alive place and there is nowhere else I would rather be."
