YORK Road market in Southend has been given a stay of execution.

The Southend Council cabinet members decided they needed to have a full survey on the need for a covered arcade or a stall market in the town centre. In the meantime, the York Road site will remain boarded up.

A report will then be prepared, by officers, and submitted to the cabinet which could take several months.

The cabinet had been faced with options such as refurbishment, at the cost of nearly £3million, and demolition at £340,000.

However council leader Nigel Holdcroft said he thought it would be wrong to make a decision less than a month after the 90-year-old market was forced to close because of health and safety concerns.

Mr Holdcroft said: “I believe it is a premature decision to make before we are clear about what the need is for an indoor arcade like York Road market in the town and also for an outdoor market.

“This is also important because of the uncertainty which currently surrounds the future of Roots Hall market. I have every sympathy for the tenants who have been placed in this situation, and we owe it to them not to make a hasty decision at this time.”

He said the cabinet had a duty to traders to look at the options thoroughly and not make a hasty decision without being in possession of all the relevant facts.

Andrew Moring, councillor responsible for support services, raised the issues of security problems and the risk of vandalism while the market was boarded up.

However Mr Holdcroft said: “The cost of proper security will be a lot less than any of the proposals which have been put forward. Given the age of the market, I believe nothing should be done in haste. I think we owe it that.”