THE freshest food at low prices. It's a boast which most supermarkets make but Sheffield markets deliver.

Castle Market has a huge variety of fresh meat, fruit and fish while The Moor's outdoor traders can kit you out with everything from a new nightie to embroidery thread.

Shopping at a market would seem to be the ideal way to beat the credit crunch – but stallholders at both markets say they are struggling to survive.

And there's also friction between the two groups after council chiefs stepped in to help traders at Castle Market.

The indoor stalls are due to move from Castlegate to new purpose-built premises on The Moor within the next three years.

With a focus on fresh food, the building will be across the precinct from Atkinsons – and traders can't wait to move.

In the meantime, the council has agreed to give them discounted rents at Castle Market because business is slack.

Certain traders will get a 40 per cent reduction, backdated to April this year and replacing current discount arrangements.

Graham Longden, president of the Castle Market branch of the National Market Traders Federation, said the market had suffered a series of knockbacks.

"We have been fighting for a new market for 12 years and have always had a good relationship with the council but we have struggled.

"We have had a lot of problems with shops closing near the market – big stores such as British Home Stores and the Co-Op, and it is a major concern.

"We thought the new inner relief ring road would help but it hasn't and the new car park which has been built is too expensive.

"It's very important we save the markets. We have individual stalls selling fresh fruit, fish and meat and it's not the same buying it from a supermarket."

Mr Longden welcomed the help from the council and said a lot of work had gone into the deal.

"We didn't just come for a 40 per cent reduction.

"We put together a business plan for the council and they thought it was fair.

"As well as saving current traders, the idea was also to try to attract new traders as there are empty stalls and we still have two years to go in that building.

"We would like to see these stalls taken and hope that they will be now we have the lower rent.

"Not all the traders will get a 40 per cent reduction – some will only get five per cent.

"What's been happening has been very unfair as deals have been done where some traders have paid less rent than others. The idea here is to get everybody on an equal footing.

"I hope The Moor can get some help but at this stage Castle Market needs that help to survive this period."

Mick Crofts, who is in charge of the markets department at Sheffield Council, said the discount was a culmination of several months of discussions and negotiations.

"This is a short term initiative leading up to the relocation of the market to The Moor in 2010.

"There will be a number of benefits to traders, to their viability, and it will streamline the market and sustain it.

"It should secure the future of the indoor market leading up to its relocation."




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