CALDICOT traders have welcomed improvement proposals for the county’s markets.

In a report that went to Monmouthshire council’s cabinet earlier this month, it has a number of aims for the county’s three markets, the others being in Monmouth and Abergavenny.

The council hopes to increase overall market income by 10-15% in 2012/13, make the markets a visitor attraction and a trading ground for young entrepreneurs.

Caldicot’s was set up in the 1970s, and operates on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

It is situated in the town centre, with a total of 26 stalls across the two days.

Opportunities for it, the report says, include better promotion and publicity for the Saturday market to attract new traders, and the possible development of niche markets.

Peter Evans, of Evans and Clark fruit and vegetables, said the former could definitely help.

“There are people still living in Caldicot who don’t knowwe are even here,” he said.

“Markets are great and important for the local community.”

John Barrett, who runs a leather goods and greeting cards stall, said it would be a good idea if the council puts money into the market to improve it.

He said: “Any market needs promoting at the moment as it’s a difficult economic time.”

Butcher Mike James, 51, works for Gary Davies meats.

“We could get more people in on a Saturday by having more stalls,” he said.

However, Cathy Edwards, who works in her family’s florist, said at Christmas it was difficult to get customers to come in her shop on market days, as some traders were selling the same things as her.

She believes having niche markets would be a plus, so the shopping public have more reason to come to the town.

“We like the market but we don’t want to see it saturated with the same things,” she added.