A BRAND new 40 stall market could be launched by Christmas in Canvey’s town centre.

In July, the Echo revealed Castle Point Council is aiming to launch a new market in the heart of the island - but now details on the size and a hopeful launch date have been revealed.

In the 1990s the market in Charfleets Industrial Estate, Canvey, was famed across the county and hugely popular, but it closed in the early 2000s.

A number of smaller markets have been launched since, but the council acknowledged they are “not performing well”.

If plans go ahead, the new market would open on one day during the week and Saturday next to the Knightswick Centre, fronting Furtherwick Road and High Street.

The plans are set to be discussed at next week’s cabinet meeting - with a proposal for a new market in Hadleigh also on the cards.

The report states: “The council has an ambition to revitalise and regenerate the town centres in the borough and is seeking to bring forward a number of initiatives in support of that objective.

“Vibrant modern markets are an important part of the product mix in town centres and the existing markets in Hadleigh and on Canvey are not particularly performing well.

“Therefore the council has an ambition to facilitate a step change in performance through the introduction of quality new markets.”

Last year, the council announced it had been successful in being awarded grant funding.

Called GoTrade, the project includes a consortium of 16 partners across the UK and France.

The aims of the project are to explore how traditional markets can be used as a catalyst for job creation, skills development and growth.

The overall project is set to cost £188,000, with the council contributing £66,000.

An agreement has been made with the Greater Manchester Pension Fund to use land at the Knightwicks Centre, and will be finalised once councillors approve the plans.

No location has been selected for the Hadleigh market, but the council is considering a number of town centre options.