TRADERS at a market in turmoil have raised concern for its future.
Two of the eight merchants at the Lombard Street Indoor Market in Stourport, set up in 1992 in a former cinema, have accused owner West Midlands Co-op of neglect - and of changing its policy on bank holiday opening and not advertising when it is open.
But other traders refused to criticise the Co-op, which maintains its policy has been consistent and that it provides adequate notice.
"The Co-op are just interested in rent," said Gurnam Singh, 47, who owns JB Fashion.
"We've been open on bank holidays ever since we started, but it used to be voluntary. On Easter Monday they shut it. It's no good opening some bank holidays - we have to open on all of them.
"The future is difficult."
A 62-year-old trader, who did not want to be named, said: "It's going down, down, down.
"At Easter I put signs up a week before saying we would open on Monday.
"But the Co-op said there should be a vote to decide whether to open or not. The market did not open and the management took away the signs on Easter Saturday.
"How can the market progress? The management doesn't listen to us."
But another trader, who admitted the market had been "a lot quieter" since Christmas, argued it was affected by problems facing the town.
"I think Stourport as a whole is dying," said Denise Jordan, 42, who runs Barry's Cafe. "There's no parking up this end of town."
West Midlands Co-op corporate manager John Boot denied the market was in decline.
He added: "Bank holiday opening has always been done by a vote. If it is to open we distribute posters and signs.
"Management do listen and where we can help we do."
The market opened on the May Day bank holiday and Mr Boot said a vote had not yet been taken on the jubilee weekend in June.
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