BURNLEY'S open market is to be transformed in an attempt to compete with Bury, Skipton and Blackburn.

The site will be fitted out with modern stalls and a drive will be launched to improve the quality of stock.

Council bosses said their aim was to boost the market by capitalising on the hotly anticipated £40million Oval shopping centre.

The revamp would see 30 permanent stalls, a cookery demonstration area and five craft workshops.

Gordon Birtwistle, MP for Padiham and Burnley, has welcomed the plans and said it would help put the town on the map.

said: “Like many others things in Burnley the market is on the up.

“The market is pretty full at the moment and I go in every Saturday and it is always busy.

“It is a traditional market and is there very few of those left. The idea is to make it a market that can be compete with markets in Bury and other places.

“With the Oval shopping centre development now on its way it will increase the footfall into the town centre and a lot of those people might want to visit a very good market.”

The Curzon Street trading hall currently has 100 stalls available for hire three days per week.

But market bosses want to open stalls for five days a week as they seek to attract traders on a more permanent basis selling a wide range of goods and produce.

An extra 30 permanent stalls will be created, alongside 10 smaller units for casual traders and five craft workshops as part of the £343,000 revamp.

Following in the footsteps of the successful Pennine Lancashire food festival, a cookery demonstration area is being formed, to cater for visiting chefs.

Coun Roger Frost, planning and environment cabinet member, said: “This investment will secure the market’s future in its present location and improve the retail offer of the borough. The idea is to make the market more attractive.”

He believes that the development of the former Pioneer site in Curzon Street, with anchor tenants Primark and Next, will provide another boost for the market.

“The theory is that with the arrival of Primark and Next, customers will be tempted into the town centre,” added Coun Frost, who has worked in the former Victorian market, its later replacement and the current market hall.

The plans have been drawn up by markets manager Colin Hill and are set to be the subject of consultation meetings with existing traders.

Market traders have faced a tough December and January because of weather conditions but there continues to be an occupancy rate of 92 to 95 per cent.

Currently the covered market has 112 units and the open market, which operates for three days a week, has space for up to 100 traders.

Under the new plans, there will still be room for 40 casual traders.

Work will be needed to remove the access ramp to Curzon Square. A new customer lift to the Curzon Street and Bankfield junction will be installed in its place as part of a development agreement with the proposed nearby shopping centre.

Councillors have been told that at present, the market generates a cash surplus of between £100,000 and £150,000.

But without investment, and the potential loss of tenants, this could be converted into a £200,000 loss.

The spending plans for the market will be debated by the council’s executive on Monday February 14.

Burnley was first granted its market charter by King Edward I in 1294.

Coun Frost, a renowned local historian, said there was evidence though of markets being staged locally throughout the Dark Ages.