A NEW farmers market is to set up for business in Royston town centre on Sunday. And in future it will take place on the first Sunday of every month. The market will expand on the one which has been held on a regular basis in Royston Town Hall during rec

A NEW farmers' market is to set up for business in Royston town centre on Sunday.

And in future it will take place on the first Sunday of every month.

The market will expand on the one which has been held on a regular basis in Royston Town Hall during recent years on Fridays.

The decision to hold a Sunday market was made in order to meet traders' demands for additional market space, and from Royston residents who were unable to attend the Friday market and wanted a weekend one.

Royston's town centre manager Geraint Burnell said: "I am really pleased to be able to increase the frequency of our farmers' markets to twice monthly.

"It is an indication of the popularity of this market, both with the traders and with residents.

"It is allowing us to expand the market, and it looks very much as though the Sunday market could be double the size of its indoor cousin."

In order to fit in with existing Hertfordshire farmers' markets, it has been necessary to schedule Royston's outdoor market for the first Sunday of each month, and this in turn has caused the Friday market to move from the first to the third Friday of the month.

The new outdoor market may see the first use of 24 custom-built market stalls, that have been acquired by the Royston Town Centre Forum with a grant provided by the East of England Development Agency.

Mr Burnell said: "It is particularly pleasing that this innovation is made possible by the acquisition of our new market stalls.

"Our funding proposal to EEDA was based around the need for Royston to be able to stage such events - and we have been able to deliver within days of the stalls arriving.