THE location of the market in Monmouth has been an issue of great debate since the renovation works started on the Shire Hall, but now the issue seems to be resolved.

The traditional market was moved from its home on the cobbles in Agincourt Square to the Blestium Street car park in 2008.

But since the completed Shire Hall restoration the space available for a market has been significantly reduced and an original decision was made to leave the market at its new location.

However traditionalists wanted to see the market return to its rightful home and a huge campaign was fought by interested parties to achieve this.

So Monmouthshire County Council undertook a consultation exercise earlier this year to gather the views of interested parties and traders by holding a public meeting and individual discussions.

And now the local authority has decided that Monmouth market will be located on both sites with smaller traders and craft stalls at the Shire Hall and the more general market and larger traders at the bottom of town.

Moinia Wilkinson, Monmouthshire's deputy chief executive, said that the authority has listened to what the people and traders wanted and come up with a compromise solution.

She added: "No start date has been decided to implement the scheme of teh two markets working in tandem and it's up to the individual traders to decide which site they wish to be at."

Cllr Giles Howard said: "The market has now grown to size and would not fit back onto the space in Agincourt Square and this is a good solution to the problem."

Cllr Liz Hacket Pain added: "With the market returning to the Shire Hall it shows that the authority does listen to what the populas wants by taking into account their views and those of the traders.

"However I do have concerns over who goes where and what constitutes small or large trader, but what I do know is that it is a fantastic way forward."