THE future of Wallingford’s Friday market is safe according to stallholders who have thanked town councillors for freezing rents on their pitches.

Wallingford Town Council agreed the move to help traders affected by the recession and protect the weekly market, which draws hundreds of shoppers each week.

Market traders pay a weekly rent to the council according to the size of their stall. The charge will remain at £1.60 per foot for 2009-2010, with a minimum charge of £16. Councillors had proposed raising the rent to £1.63.

Trader Chris Hurdman, 48, said: “For the forseeable future, the market is safe. This means we can afford to stay in Wallingford. All traders are having a difficult time at the moment and this will go some way to help.”

Mr Hurdman, who runs the dried fruit and confectionary stall, initially asked councillors for a 15 per cent rent cut.

He said: “It’s a very difficult time and trading in Wallingford is becoming just too expensive compared with other towns. Wallingford market tolls are almost double the rates of smaller markets in the area.”

Mr Hurdman said: “We have had a recession before, but this is going to be prolonged and we hope the public in Wallingford will continue to support us.

“If they had increased the rent and carried on increasing it, things would have got very difficult for us and traders would have been forced to consider other options.

“One stallholder has reduced the size of his stall because it’s so expensive.”

Town council clerk Andrew Rogers said: “The council recognises that the Charter Market is part and parcel of Wallingford’s history. We are very keen to listen to the traders. We have listened to them in previous years and if we think they have a valid cause we will work with them.

“We are keen to make sure they remain a viable entity.”