A MONTHLY food market could become a permanent feature in Barton for residents to purchase fresh produce at good value prices.

Community workers hope a market similar to the one in Headington can 'bring life' to Underhill Circus on one weekend each month to encourage healthy eating on the estate.

Last week, a trial run of the market was branded a success.

Six stalls were on display outside the shops which included two selling fruit and vegetables and two selling bakery goods.

Meanwhile Chinese dumplings were on offer on one stall, as well as paella.

LSD Promotions, who run the Gloucester Green Market in Oxford city centre, are overseeing the trial-run of the proposed Barton community market, and the next planned date is December 17 from 9am until 4pm.

Barton Community Association Secretary Sue Holden told the Oxford Mail the BCA was backing the trial run because it gave residents the chance to 'access affordable, fresh and nutritious food'.

She added the market fell in line with their health and wellbeing programme on the estate.

Mrs Holden said: "We hope it will bring some life into Underhill Circus as it is quite quiet there on a Saturday.

"We want it to bring vibrancy to the area.

"It's a case of use it or we lose it and we had a good numbers at the first one last week so we hope we can build on that.

"The first one went really, really well. There was one stall which had all the fruit and veg at 99p, it was really good value.

Markets have played a key role in Oxford’s trading histor, with the iconic Covered Market being built in 1771 and still trades to this day.

A cattle market was operated in Gloucester Green for many years, but was moved to Oxpens in 1929

The more modern market seen today in Gloucester Green moved from Oxpens in 1986.

In October the former Headington Farmer’s Market re-launched in a bid to bring it back to its former glory.

The weekly market in central Headington was renamed Headington Market and now stocks a wider range of goods including handicrafts.