THE vitality of Fenland’s markets is back in the spotlight, but now YOU can have a massive say on their future – and it’s a chance we shouldn’t waste.

Fenland District Council has set out to revitalise our towns’ markets with the launch of its Market Questionnaire Survey. And it’s our feedback which will play a major role in future improvements.

There are 28 questions, which ask us how important we consider our markets in our reasoning for visiting the towns, as well as the markets’ value for money.

It also asks what we would like improved, whether access is satisfactory and even asks whether we use public toilets.

As Councillor Jan French, chairman of the council’s overview and scrutiny policy panel, told this newspaper this week: “We want to see how we can improve them and we need public input for this.

“The buzz words at the moment are interacting with the community because, at the end of the day, it’s the communities that use them.”

It’s an opportunity we should not take for granted. Such surveys are only a starting block, but are sure to be the foundations of making sure our town centres thrive for years to come.

For many of our independent businesses, changes to the markets could also be a blessing in disguise – they would receive a major boost through the hundreds of extra visitors to our towns each month.

n To take part in the survey, visit the council’s website.