TRADERS fear they will be forced out of business by plans to transform Basildon Market.

Basildon Council wants to move the market from Market Square, off Southernhay, to two more central locations – in East Square, by the post office, and the nearby Town Square.

The current market’s stalls are based in log cabins, which can be locked up overnight, allowing for merchandise to be stored safely.

Traders have heard rumours that stalls at the new locations will be smaller and have no storage facilities, which they claim would be totally unsuitable.

Basildon Council refused to confirm or deny this last night.

Reiki healing practitioner Dave Cross, who runs a stall in the market, said: “Ninety per cent of current traders would be unable to carry on without storage, and smaller stalls would totally change the nature of the market.

“I have a treatment room in my log cabin and the other traders need to keep their goods safe overnight. It sounds like they want more of a street market, like they have in Southend High Street, where the stalls can be easily removed, but that’s very different to what we have at the moment.”

Traders are going to Parliament to meet Basildon and Billericay MP John Baron on January 25 to discuss their fears for their future.

A detailed planning document, setting out the £1billion Basildon masterplan to regenerate the whole of the town centre, will be published next week.

The council declined to say whether this would specify the type of stalls planned for the new markets. Stephen Horgan, deputy council leader, said: “No final decisions have been made on the future of the market, or any other part of the town, and will not be until we have considered fully the views of local people, including the market traders.”