A monthly farmers’ market should begin on Church Green, Keighley, on Sunday, April 19.

Geoff Johnson, the markets manager of Otley Farmers Market, told Keighley Town Council a number of potential stallholders had already expressed an interest.

“We should have a good selection,” he said.

“We’ll be promoting Keighley as well as the market’s produce.”

He said the market should attract more people to the town centre, enabling other existing businesses to benefit.

He added the farmers’ stalls would not be in direct competition with the town’s established shops. However, Cllr Brian Hudson said: “I feel our existing market traders will suffer.

“They will not take kindly to this and I believe the Airedale Centre won’t either. Our local traders must take priority, especially in this time of recession.”

Cllr Graham Mitchell said when Asda opens in Bradford Street there is a serious risk that it will drain shoppers away from the town centre.

He said the farmers’ market should be looked at very seriously as a means of strengthening the older part of the town.

Cllr Amjad Zaman agreed, saying: “We need to look at innovative ways of countering the impact of Asda. I think we should give this a try.”

Cllr Wright said he understood the Airedale Shopping Centre would welcome a farmers’ market and pointed out that it would be completely different to the current indoor market.

Cllr Samuels said: “I’m opposed to bringing in outside traders. We do not want to speed up the closure of Keighley’s independent town traders.”

Cllr Mick Westerman noted that one of the reasons for the Church Green improvement programme was for it to be used for events such as markets.