After the news that the pop up park is being removed to make way for winter events and, at some point, a ‘reimagined’ market square, businesses and leaders have given their thoughts on what Carlisle should have to add life and vibrancy to the city’s leisure.

Carlisle residents and businesses will be asked to have their say on how the city centre’s Market Square and Greenmarket could look in the future later this year.

A public consultation is planned and follows on from the stage-one consultation held in the summer.

The public square will, according to Carlisle City Council, put people first, prioritise pedestrian movement and encourage residents, workers, and visitors to stay longer in the city centre.

Suzanne Caldwell, managing director at Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, offered up some suggestions for what she would like to see in Greenmarket: “I think something on a bigger scale, that uses a bigger area and is a genuinely green and attractive place to sit and relax.

“Proper grass if there’s going to be grass, but also incorporating something interactive.

“Something perhaps like those fountains that come up out of the pavement.

“Children love them and they’re nice to look at too.

“There are some great examples of using locations in a pop-up manner – I’m thinking, for example, of the pop-up beach in Liverpool and the various activities they put on in Chevasse Park attached to Liverpool One.

“There must be things we could learn from that as an add on.”

John Stevenson, the MP for Carlisle, said: “I think a greater effort needs to be made to smarten up the city in general, replacing loose paving and general improvements of signage and a general tidy up.

“We do have a good city centre, overall it's pretty vibrant and with the prospect of the campus it's got a good future.

“I would rather not see anything permanent.

“There are a variety of events happening that make it more interesting like the continental market, there could be some other themed events which I think would be more attractive to tourists and locals.”

As for businesses in the city, Tracey McCormick of La Baguette Bar said of the original pop-up park that it looked lovely and was full of people in the summer, but it could have been turned into a seasonal park.

She added: “I’ve been to cities where it's been a wonderland, a seasonal garden for everybody to enjoy would be better.”

Lucy Matthews of Bookends said she liked the pop-up park too: “I sat and had my dinner at that park often.

“As much stick as it got, it was actually quite nice.

“There were children running and enjoying the animals, so I think a communal seating area like that isn't such a bad idea.”