'How can a market town not have a market?'

As the future of a market in Leeds hangs in the balance, residents and traders in Pudsey say a "market town" should not lose one of its key assets.

Leeds City Council reported a decline in both customers and traders at Pudsey Market over the last few years, with a public consultation deadline now looming.

The market was no longer "financially viable as it currently stands" because of a combination of low stall rent and rising costs, the council said.

"It does get a bit frustrating when we are here trying to earn a living and try and make Pudsey better," said John Palmer, who runs a bakery stall at the market.

Pudsey Market opens on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, from 08:30-15:30 BST.

During a visit on a Tuesday afternoon, a couple hours before the market was due to shut, all but two of the traders had packed up and left for the day.

John, who runs The Drizzle King stall, said only six stalls had been trading that day in total.

"It does get us quite angry - we are trying, we do our best," he said while looking through comments about the market on social media.

When asked if those criticising the market would miss it if it were to shut, John said: "Eventually I think they would."

The public consultation about the market's future ends on Friday, with the council looking to "explore alternative options" rather than closing the market.

According to the survey, one option could be to let private specialist market operators hire the space on a weekend whilst still keeping a traditional market on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Nicky, 61, from Pudsey, said both her and her mother Jenny "absolutely love the market" and that it would be a shame to see it close.

"I think it would be really sad because it is known as being a market town," she said.

"How can a market town that is historically a market town not have a market?

"There has always been a market and if it is a market town, it must have a market."

Nikki, 52, who works in Pudsey and used to be a trader at Leeds Kirkgate Market, said outdoor markets had fallen victim to a change in people's shopping habits.

"I just do not think people shop in markets anymore," she said.

"I think markets have really had their time to be honest."

She added that the occupancy of the stalls did not help.

"It is not really a market when there are just two traders there," she added.

Shan Ajaib, the other trader present on the Tuesday visit, admitted they have had to cut back on the days his business operated at the market.

"We started off with three days a week here, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

"We had to unfortunately not do the Fridays, and that was just because of cost to us," he said.

"We had to make all the food, we have to travel here from Halifax and then it is a wage for somebody as well.

"We just were not making sufficient money."

Shan, who runs the Simply Delish food stall, said he wanted to continue trading despite the struggle facing the market.

"We have got a lot of loyal customers, a lot of really good customers who keep coming back to us and that keeps us going.

"As long as they want us here we will hopefully keep going."

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