BUSINESS owners have accused Bury Council of “failing” Radcliffe’s new £1 million market by not providing adequate signs and advertising.

The Radcliffe Town Team was set up last year to regenerate the town centre and decide how to spend £10,000 of Portas Pilot funding and a £5,000 grant from United Utilities.

The group of traders has slammed Bury Council for its failure to pay for permanent signs at prominent junctions advertising the market and town centre shopping area.

Nearly two months since the market reopened, no signage has yet been erected and traders feel this is having a negative impact on business.

Eugene O’Donnell, who owns New Button Alterations, said: “The refurbished market still fails to inspire.

We believe the £1 million supposedly spent on it is being let down by a complete lack of advertising, promotion and marketing by Bury Council – who own and run it!

“There is a general consensus the new market is failing to attract shoppers because it has no marketing strategy, a dismal failing on the part of the council.

“It is our belief Bury Council should be funding permanent signs at significant road junctions around Radcliffe and spearheading an advertising campaign to promote it.”

The group had earlier planned to spend the United Utilities money on signage – potentially located near the Pilkington Way traffic lights – directing people into the town centre shopping area.

But traders have now decided they will not pay for something they strongly believe should be funded by the council – and plan to write to the authority setting out their disappointment.

Mr O’Donnell added: “My shop faces the market entrance and yet because of a lack of decent signage you would not even know it was there.”

When the newly-renovated market hall reopened in December, some stallholders were pleased with the bigger stalls, temporary market and cafe space, new toilets and a picture window.

But others were disappointed the pop-up markets and cafe had still not launched. and felt little had been done to promote the new Thursday opening day – with Bury Council’s website only updated to include the Thursday opening in mid January.

Council bosses are currently choosing a tender for the cafe and the pop-up market programme is due to launch in April.

At a full meeting of Bury Council on December 10, Green party campaigner Nicole Haydock asked council leader Cllr Mike Connolly what the council was doing to promote the market.

Cllr Connolly responded: “In terms of signage and marketing, the signage is on its way. Signage will be in place, we are working with the Radcliffe Town Centre Team and are looking at spending the Portas money.”

During the same meeting, Cllr Sandra Walmsley confirmed the Town Team was examining locations in the town for where the signage could be based and said details had been sent to highways.