MALDON market’s contract has been renewed for another six months to allow a working group to determine its future.

In November last year Maldon District Council’s community services committee created a markets task and finish working group to consider the provision of markets within Maldon town centre.

Maldon’s only market in Butt Lane, which moved from the White Horse car park 10 years ago, runs on a Thursday and Saturday.

Since November the working group has met several times to review the market, discussing issues such as the pros and cons of 14 different locations, including impact on car parking within the town, the scale of a market, who operates it, planning permission requirements and whether it is meeting consumer demand.

In a report that went before the committee on Tuesday last week, it was decided that the existing agreement with the market be extended for another six months to the end of November to allow all findings from the group to be gathered and presented.

However, despite not revealing how Maldon’s market will look in the future, the council have stated it does not want to see the town without a market.

The report said: “It is worth noting that the working group have approached their task with the assumption that the council wishes to retain some form of regular market within the Maldon town.

“The group has assumed that a Maldon market should continue to be provided for the town.

“Further research and investigation is required before a final conclusions and proposal is offered to the community services committee for wider discussion.”