THERE are fears that a lack of visibility could drive long-serving Carlisle market traders out of business.

Business owners and traders in the city’s Market Hall say they are suffering as customers have failed to return in numbers following the easing of coronavirus restrictions.

Rachael Gillgrass, who owns the Baby Bit store in the hall, has called on the city council for support.

She said: “I think that if something is not done soon, a lot of the traders and small businesses will close and the market could close.

“It’s such a historic building and it’s got so much potential for the current traders and new businesses.

“I think we need our local council to support us a little better. The city council do own it and maybe they could put a bit more time and thought into the building before it becomes derelict.

“There’s traders who have been here for 35 years who say they can’t see it going back, which is really disheartening.”

It comes amid a report from the British Retail Consortium that revealed the overall shop vacancy rate in the UK was on the increase for the third year in a row.

In the first quarter of 2021, the vacancy rate increased from 14.1 per cent to 13.7 per cent – and that figure has been increasing since the start of 2018.

A spokeswoman for Carlisle City Council said: “The Market Hall is an iconic building in the city centre that supports local traders. Coming out of the lockdown, we encourage shoppers to stay local and shop local.

“It has a wide range of stalls, including a range of high quality street food vendors. Please support your local market and take the opportunity to sample what’s on offer.

“As part of the Town Investment Plan, we have secured Government funding to help the city centre recover from the impact of Covid-19. The Market Hall has been identified as one of the key priorities for this funding.

“We are also supporting the promotion of the Market Hall through the Buy Local Carlisle project and have also produced promotional videos of the site showcasing itas a must-see shopping destination post lock down. These are available on our Discover Carlisle website and have also been promoted on social media. We have also paid for advertising in various publications such as Great Days Out In Cumbria and the forthcoming Carlisle Food and Drink Guide.”