COMMUNITY leaders say trade in Nailsworth is suffering because of the popularity of Stroud's much-loved weekly farmer's market.

Nailsworth town councillors have raised concerns that Stroud's dominance is having an adverse affect on neighbouring towns.

Cllr Norman Kay said this undermines the principle of farmers markets providing local produce elsewhere in the district.

"I have spoken to stall holders who say they're selling less produce," he said during a meeting of the town council on Tuesday, November 21.

"I think there is an increasing call for a review of what is happening here."

Chairman Sue Reed said the issue will be raised at the next meeting of Gloucestershire Market Towns Forum.

"We need to monitor this to see what the commercial effect is," she said.

"If we can show that our market is suffering then we have a powerful case for asking what can be done about this."

Cllr John Nicholson reminded fellow councillors that just ten years ago Stroud was a town in a state of decline.

"Our thoughts were that it was such an abyss in terms of retail that it was bringing other towns down the pan with it," he said.

"Now Stroud is a real success story and the market is an absolute triumph - it has really resurrected the town.

"We have to cope with the success of our neighbour."

Claire Gerbrands, organiser of Stroud Farmer's Market, said she has tried her best to help all the markets in the Five Valleys.

"As soon as we received funding from DEFRA we tried to help other markets by including them on our website and leaflets but they weren't interested," she said.

"With the funding running out we offered again, only asking for a contribution towards the printing and distribution costs - not one market organiser replied to our letters.

"And every Friday this year I appeared voluntarily on the BBC Radio Gloucestershire breakfast show to list every farmers market in the county."