St Albans City and District Council is to investigate a number of possible improvements to St Albans markets, including the addition of an evening weekday market, new attractive stall covers and a bicycle delivery scheme.

Cabinet agreed a plan of action to improve the markets held in the City at its meeting on 13 July, following the presentation of a Study of St Albans Street Markets.

The Study was commissioned as part of the Council’s work on implementing the District Vision, which sets out a long-term strategy for the evolution of St Albans City and District.

It makes various recommendations about how to improve St Albans markets, including investigating:
• the possibility of an evening market;
• the scope for additional special events;
• the feasibility of a scheme for the delivery of purchased goods by bicycle;
• the introduction of additional stalls in the areas around Civic Centre and Drovers Way;
• the introduction of new stall covers;
• additional seating, as part of plans to enhance St Peter’s Street;
• re-designing the layout of the market so that stalls with a similar product range are placed in the same area;
• the feasibility of a partial closure of St Peter’s Street to vehicles;
• improved marketing and publicity.

The Council has already begun work on some of the recommendations made in the study, including monitoring categories of goods for sale, quality vetting the stalls, reviewing stall positions to ease bottlenecks, improving recycling and composting arrangements and extending busker performance licences.

Consultation with market traders, local retailers, members of the public and relevant Council officers was carried out before the proposals were drawn up.

Cllr Sheila Burton, Portfolio Holder for Culture and Heritage at St Albans City and District Council, said: “This Study will help the Council improve the St Albans markets so that they continue to draw in shoppers who contribute to the economic health of the City centre.

“On behalf of the Council, I would like to thank the market traders and local retailers for taking part in the consultation as part of the Study.”

St Albans plays host to weekly markets on Wednesday and Saturdays and to a Farmers’ Market, which takes place on the 2nd Sunday of each month in St Peter’s Street, St Albans. There are also continental markets held in the City Centre from time to time.