A senior Opposition Leader on Bath & North East Somerset Council is calling for a radical re-think over the location of Bath’s Christmas Market.

Cllr Karen Walker, Leader of the Independents and former Chair of the Council, wants to see the market moved from its current location at the Abbey Churchyard to The Royal Avenue.

Cllr Walker said: “In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Christmas Market was cancelled last year.

“Currently located around the Bath Abbey and Orange Grove area, the space is just not big enough for the near half-a-million people that visit.

“Cramp passageways and overcrowding means it is impossible to socially distance. If the market is going to attract such large numbers of people – we need to seriously look at moving the event to a bigger space that can accommodate them.”

Founded over twenty years ago, the Bath Christmas Market runs for two and a half weeks from the end of November until the middle of December.

Cllr Karen Walker believes moving it to the Royal Avenue, with all its surrounding space at the Royal Crescent and Royal Victoria Park, would be an ideal setting for this festive shopping experience.

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The Council Leadership are looking at Cllr Walker’s proposal and will make a decision at the next Cabinet meeting on 23rd June.