Residents have been urged to “help our markets thrive” and share their thoughts on how to improve them. 

Durham County Council is conducting a review of its markets and is asking people to respond to a survey by detailing what would encourage them to visit. 

Several markets operate across the county throughout the year, with the local authority currently overseeing nine markets at Barnard Castle, Bishop Auckland, Chester-le-Street, Consett, Crook, Durham, Seaham, Spennymoor,  and Stanley.

The successful Bishop Auckland and Seaham Food Festivals have enjoyed continued success in recent years. A programme of Christmas and specialist markets is also overseen by the council. 

A statement from Durham County Council reads: “Help our local markets to thrive. We're carrying out a review of our markets and would like you to tell us about the markets you go to and what you'd like to see at them that would encourage you to visit.

“Markets are important to our local towns. Successful markets support vibrant town centres and thriving local economies by giving people attractive reasons to visit, while often also providing access to affordable goods.”

A public consultation on the future of County Durham markets closes on Monday, September 2, at 5pm and people have been urged to submit their responses. 

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The council is keen to discover how its markets are currently performing, compared to other local events across the country. People have also been asked to suggest what they want to see at markets in the future. 

The statement added: “We will use your feedback to create a report about our markets. This will include recommendations on what we might be able to do in the future to continue to develop vibrant and thriving markets across County Durham. 

“We will present these findings internally and consult with you again in the Autumn.”

Have your say on the survey here.