A STREET market in Taunton High Street is set to fold after being asked to move to another site.

Pat Mayhew, of Time 4, said she has been told by the council to relocate the twice-weekly event she has organised for four years to Castle Green.

But the 20 or so traders have said they are not interested in going to the new venue.

The panier markets will continue on Fridays and Saturdays for the rest of the year, as well as running on Sundays over the festive season and the popular Taunton Farmers' Market will continue to run on a Thursday between 9am and 3pm.

Mrs Mayhew said: "This has unsettled the traders and none of them wants to go to Castle Green - it's been tried there before and doesn't work.

"When I started there was hardly any footfall in High Street, but we've managed to turn that round and the market has served the town centre well.

"The traders would lose money at Castle Green because there's hardly any footfall there.

"I'm retiring at the end of the year and the traders will move on and find other markets."

Trader Zoltan Csudi, of Zed Coffee, said: "It will kill this street to lose the market and I don’t think anyone wants to go to Castle Green.

"There's less footfall, and people like markets to be constant, the same people, in the same spot on the same day."

Adam Brien, of Two Little Hares design, said: "I doubt I'll go to Castle Green.

"It's not easy here, but over time you build up a rapport with customers. It would be a shame to lose that."

Taunton Deane Borough Council's business development department has been issued with a trading consent for the town centre and is looking at how street trading operates.

A spokeswoman said Time 4 has been offered Castle Green, which she claims has staged "other successful open-air events", including Eat Taunton and Feast, which drew in the crowds.

She added that discussions are ongoing with Time 4, which will be allowed to continue the markets in High Street until the end of the year, while the Thursday Farmers' market will be unaffected.

Cllr Mark Edwards, the Deane's executive member for business development, said: "Our team is listening hard to shoppers, retailers and street traders and we are looking hard at how we can improve what’s on offer in the town centre.

"We are looking at the feedback we get from the public and our businesses and that will help us decide how, when and where street markets can operate.

"Our door is wide open to those who want to get involved. We are talking to a range of interested parties as we all want the best for Taunton."