WORRIED traders fear that major regeneration plans for hundreds of new homes and an arena in Basildon town centre could spell the end of their 60-year-old market. 

Basildon Market, boasting 40 kiosks, operates four days a week in St Martin’s Square but traders claim they are facing an uncertain future. 

Demolition work is set to start in December at the former Moon on the Square pub ahead of construction of 492 homes on Market Square, while Basildon Council is in talks with a firm to build an arena at the Westgate Shopping Park. 

Steve Saunders has been trading at the market for decadesSteve Saunders has been trading at the market for decades (Image: George Pizani)
Steve Saunders, who has been selling clothes from his stall for decades, claims the council have not given traders any update on the future of the market and worries about the impact on trade when construction work starts in the town centre. 

Basildon Council was unable to provide the Echo with an update on the future of the market plans despite being contacted on Friday. 

Steve said: “We want to know if there’s still going to be a market, that’s what we want to know, because so far we haven’t been told anything.

“We’ve been totally kept in the dark. All we keep getting from our management is that they haven’t been told anything by the council.

The market is just meters away from advertising for the regeneration plansThe market is just meters away from advertising for the regeneration plans (Image: George Pizani)

The veteran clothes seller claims that that the sense of unease is shared by many of the market’s traders.

“People have been here for years, and they’re worried about their businesses,” he added. 

“Our main concern is that there’s not going to be a market."

The traders at Basildon Market rent their units under a 28-day lease, meaning they could face just one month’s notice if the decision is made to move them out.

Another of the concerned business owners is Ricky Judd. Ricky, who runs two jewellery stores out of the market, has invested heavily into the security of his units.

“I’ve asked if we’ve got two years or two months left and got nothing back. They won’t even confirm if we’re actually going to have to go or not,” he said.

 “It doesn’t take a lot of working out. They’re going to be knocking all these buildings down to build high-rise flats and we won’t be able to be here”.