COUNCILLORS have come up with ideas on how to improve Colne Market in a bid to kickstart a debate.

At their monthly meeting last week, Liberal Democrats in Colne called on both traders and shoppers to put forward a their ideas.

And they set out a five-point plan to kick-start the discussion: l the introduction of incentives for new traders to take up empty stalls, including a possible rent-free period for new stallholders.

l for Pendle Council to use its own promotional leaflets and newsletters to advertise and promote the markets.

l better signage outside the Market Hall to encourage shoppers to go through the doors.

l a series of town centre and market hall "events" throughout the year to attract and maintain interest.

l using the council's new visitor centre at the new Boundary Mill site to promote the market hall as part of Colne town centre as a whole.

Coun Dorothy Lord, who chairs the council's Colne Market Panel meetings, said that the council had already reduced the rents in the market hall.

And she said there would be a week of town centre events based on the market hall before Christmas.

But she said: "What we want to do now is to look at what we can do during 2008. The market hall is a very important part of the town centre, and it's the one that the council is directly responsible for.

"There are far too many empty stalls at present, and we have to find ways of getting them filled.

"The market hall traders who remain are providing a really good service with lots of quality and variety, and they deserve more efforts to bring in more shoppers and new traders."

The Liberal Democrat Councillors are planning a round-table meeting of all Colne councillors with the market panel and any other interested people to "brainstorm" ideas and thrash out what can be done".