SUNDAY trading in Oxford’s Covered Market is in danger of being scrapped because only half the traders have joined a trial.

Earlier this year, traders in the historic market agreed to the four-month trial and it was launched on May 17.

If the scheme is deemed a success, Sunday trading could be made permanent.

But Chris Farren, the new head of the Covered Market Traders’ Association, said the city council, which owns the market, had told the association the trial would not be considered a success unless at least 70 per cent of the 52 traders joined the trial.

Mr Farren, who runs a cake shop in the market, said: “I have opened on a Sunday, but from a trading point of view it was a bit of a disaster, although I was able to make cakes for the week ahead, which made my business run more efficiently.

“In the last rent agreement, there was a 10 per cent discount awarded by the arbitrator for restrictive trading, which includes Sunday trading, and some traders fear they will lose that discount if the market opens seven days a week.

“The council gets about £1m rent a year from traders, so it is losing about £100,000 in rent by not opening on Sunday. It’s in the council’s interest to back Sunday opening, but they have not supported the trial properly by putting signs up in the city centre to let people know the market is open.”

Mr Farren said the council’s conservation team asked the association to remove its own Sunday trading signs over the entrances because the market is a listed building.

He said: “We left the signs up and the council didn’t raise the matter again.”

Mr Farren urged the city and county councils, which have pledged to spend £100,000 refurbishing the market, to begin work as soon as possible.

He said: “The entrances to the market looks very shabby and needs better lighting.

“The councils said the work would start in August, but I think that’s highly optimistic.

“I want to keep a friendly dialogue going with the city council because it has not been particularly good in the past.”

Colin Cook, the city council’s executive member with responsibility for the market, hoped the Sunday trial would be a success.

But he added: “We can’t force traders to make money, so we will review the situation in September.

“If not enough traders want to do it, we will revert back to the usual situation, with the market opening on Sunday by mid-November in the run-up to Christmas.

“The signs that traders have put up themselves are clearly temporary and officers will be asked to come up with more permanent signage.”

Earlier this year, the city and county councils announced they would each spend £50,000 on improvements to the market.

It followed a new partnership agreement designed to help the market.

In November, the city council agreed to pay for repairs to the 18th century structure, but the work then had to be postponed because of the council's financial difficulties.

The annual cost of Sunday trading is estimated at £30,000. Funds for the trial come from the council’s City Works budget.

affrench@oxfordmail.co.uk