Talks planned for future of Ellesmere's market hall

Altogether Ellesmere, which runs the town's market hall, will meet with the town council and Shropshire Council in January.

Lincoln McMullan, chairman of the group, said it is currently willing to extend the lease on the building, which expires in March 2018. He said he wants to discuss ways to improve the Scotland Street building after admitting the Tuesday market is not attracting enough support.

"We will be meeting with the councils in January to see whether we want to extend the lease and what to do with the market hall. At the moment the plan is to extend it," he said.

"Unfortunately, the number of traders at the Tuesday market is diminishing and people are not supporting it like they should do.

"We have got one or two constant traders and about 11 altogether.

"But our evening bookings are doing well. We have got the martial arts evening and we have a wedding booked for next year.

"People need to come and support it. Like I have said previously, people need to use it or lose it."

Earlier this year hundreds of questionnaires were distributed throughout Ellesmere asking residents for their views on the market hall.

The surveys were drawn up by All Together Ellesmere, which has claimed the hall is under-used and want to know what people think it should be used for.

Last year work to repair the leaking roof of the market hall was completed.

Shropshire Council funded the work to replace parts of the roof on the building which leaked for more than three and a half years.

All Together Ellesmere, which leases the building on Scotland Street from Shropshire Council, took over the running of the market hall, which had been operating at a loss, in 2013. Work to tidy up the building after the change involved creating a new kitchen thanks to a grant of £11,620 from Shropshire Council's Market Towns Revitalisation Programme.

Mr McMullan, who is also a member of the town's chamber of trade and commerce, said the town has generally been very busy in the run-up to Christmas.

"The town seems to be buzzing at the moment," he said.

He believes the town will only have one empty shop when two new businesses open in the new year.