Huntingdonshire District Council has decided to move the market from its current location on the Market Square to the High Street, which means the Market Square can now be used for other events.
Here’s the official press release from HDC:
COUNCIL ENDORSES PLAN TO RELOCATE HUNTINGDON MARKET
A plan to relocate Huntingdon market was endorsed at a meeting of the Huntingdonshire District Council Cabinet on Thursday 19 January.
The decision represents a significant step towards moving the market from its current location on the Market Square to the High Street, where it will benefit from the increased footfall in the town centre and add to the retail offering of the town. This move will also mean the release of the Market Square for promotional and community events, such as the recent Italian flag throwing demonstration.
The plan is being developed in partnership with a range of stakeholders, and positive discussions are ongoing with BID Huntingdon, Huntingdon Town Council as well as Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridgeshire Fire and Police Services and the town’s retailers. Now that the plan has been given the go-ahead, the next and final step will be for Cambridgeshire County Council, as Highways Authority, to conduct a public consultation to amend the traffic regulation order for the town, to enable a permanent closure of the High Street on Market days.
The consultation will be conducted in spring with a view to moving the market as soon as it has been completed, assuming a positive outcome. Speaking after the Cabinet meeting, Councillor Jim White, Executive Councillor with responsibility for markets said: “We are extremely pleased to endorse this proposal, which will provide a huge boost for the viability of the market itself and add considerably to the vibrancy of Huntingdon town centre as a whole.”