Ludlow town councillors have banned European traders from holding markets in Castle Square.
The decision came at this week’s meeting of the council’s services committee, which was attended by six councillors.
Mark Woodward, chair of Ludlow Market Traders, told the Journal he was “disappointed” with the vote to reject two applications for continental food markets in the Square.
Mr Woodward runs the cheese van on the square. He said the majority of traders supported the applications because they brought extra customers through the town.
He said: “Councillor Bradley said three quarters of the traders are against it but it’s a loud minority that talk to him about it. It’s a shame because we need the footfall. A proper French or Italian market would have been really nice.”
Asked for a response, Councillor Mickey Bradley said: “I’m up around the market every day, I’m well known by the market traders and they are known to me. What Mark Woodward is saying is not correct.”
Cllr Bradley said the continental market had wanted to come from a Thursday to Sunday, over the market’s most successful days.
He added: “If they wanted to come on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, there wouldn’t be much of a problem. We couldn’t be offered any guarantee they wouldn’t be any competition for our traders.”
Mr Woodward said, although some past markets had been bad for traders, these were usually markets run by English people who had picked up poor quality produce cheaply in France, before selling it at low prices back home.
Mr Woodward added: “The French market we had in the beginning sold really nice stuff. Even though they were duplicating my trade, we got extra footfall, which is good.
“They advertised it all round the district, which doesn’t cost us anything, and we get extra people in.
“I don’t think the town council should have knocked it on the head just like that.”
Mr Woodward said he would have been perfectly happy to abide by the wishes of the majority of the market traders.
The town council received two applications, for a French food market in September and for an Italian market in November.
Councillor Graeme Kidd proposed the final decision be left with markets manager Roy Guestford, who could check the markets would not be in direct competition with local traders and canvass their opinions.
Town clerk Linda Thomas said other future continental markets had not been ruled out and that all applications would be considered on their individual merits.
Councillors may question the decision at next month’s full meeting but the committee has the powers to make such a decision without its having to be confirmed.