STALLHOLDERS on Accrington's indoor market have been reassured they will not miss out on improvements to the town centre.

The move came after a number of traders attending a Markets Board meeting asked Nigel Rix, director of Hyndburn Council's regeneration arm Hyndburn First, where the money to help them was.

Nevil Singer, chairman of the Market Tenants' Association, said a £248,000 market renewal fund was used for the development of the bus station and outdoor market, and they were told that when work started it would be returned.

But Mr Rix said the fund was always part of a bigger £700,000 pot for many large projects.

And he said the stallholders need not fear because their market would be improved sometime in the future.

He said plans were already afoot to look at resurfacing the floor of the market hall, and the council would look at improving the indoor market sometime in the future, probably after April 2004.

But he said the priority was not to disrupt shoppers and businesses, and they had to concentrate on finishing the open market on Broadway first.

However, Mayor of Hyndburn Coun Sandra Hayes, former chairman of the council's Markets Board, said she was not convinced, and asked Mr Rix to formally return the cash.

Nigel Singer, 63, has run Gibson and Walsh pram stall for 40 years.

He said he, and the other stallholders, were extremely worried.

"As I understand it, the fund was money collected over time to be used for the refurbishment of the market hall.

"It was in the region of £295,000 but, after some money was taken to do the electrics in the hall, it dropped to £248,000.

"The council then took that money for the alterations to the bus station for the redevelopment of the town centre.

"We were told that the money would be returned when the work started. Sandra Hayes told us she got promises that it would be."

Coun Hayes said: "Mr Rix said in a meeting, and these were recorded in minutes, that he would return the money."

Mr Rix said: "The council has a reserve of money set aside for major capital projects like the outdoor market and this amounts to £700,000.

"The Market Renewal Fund was always part of this, and it is up to the present administration to decide how that money is to be spent.

"The stallholders have seen the work on the outdoor market and what they are now understandably wanting is a refurbishment of the market hall.

"We respect and understand that, and we will work with them to upgrade the market hall and improve it.

"We couldn't work on the market hall before we finished the outdoor market because that would have disrupted shoppers and businesses too much.

"We can start to look at the market hall after April 2004. In fact, we've already been holding meetings to discuss the resurfacing of the floor of the market.

"The stallholders need not worry, they are not going to be left out."