THERE are grave concerns over the future of Radcliffe Market after it was put out to tender.

Bury Council is inviting tenders for a concession and licence to operate and manage the market.

While the Friday food and drink nights are proving a success, there are very few of the 34 stall spaces occupied.

Eugene O’Donnell, former chairman of the Radcliffe Town Team, said: “It is a shame the market has failed. It is an abject failure.

“It used to be full but now it is empty. Whether you are a start-our business or a small trader, you cannot sign your life away committing to 12-month contracts.”

In June, Bury Council leader Cllr Rishi Shori, said he saw the market as crucial to the town’s ongoing regeneration.

In 2016, council bosses gave the struggling market 12 months to improve after watching it suffer a severe decline following a £1million refurbishment.

But there are serious concerns over the market’s future as the number of stallholders continues to dwindle.

An ex-trader said: “The management is not interested in helping this become a success.

“It is a chain around their neck. There are clearly not enough stall holders in there.

Traders don’t seem to know what is going on. It seems to be the best kept secret.”

When the Times contacted Bury Council, a spokesman said it was standing by its statement made in July, in which it saw the refurbishment as a means of boosting trade and encouraging more people into the town centre.