Melksham’s weekly market could be moved in a bid to attract more shoppers.

Wiltshire Council is planning to move the Tuesday market to the historic Market Place, outside the town hall, after admitting that the current location - Church Street car park - was not proving visible enough.

Tom Ince, leader of the council’s amenity partnership team, which oversees the market, said: “We are looking to move it back into the Market Place as a trial, hopefully from April 1, unless we get any objections from local residents or businesses.

“We struggled a bit with footfall where it is now, and we are hoping it will pick up in the new location.

"A number of the traders and the public have said it would be nice to have it in the Market Place, where it will be more visible.

“We have received no objections so far. Our deadline is March 14 and I don’t anticipate any objections, everyone has been very supportive to the idea.”

The market returned to the town after a four-year absence in September, and despite initial success has been failing to attract shoppers at the car park behind the Avon Place shopping precinct.

If the move is approved the Market Place will be closed to traffic once a week, although drivers will still be able to get into Melksham House.

Mr Ince said: “We’re going to put cones up so people can still get to Melksham House.

"The taxi rank will also remain, there just won’t be any parking there. It won’t affect the disabled parking either, that’s still going to be there.”