Market holds Christmas event ahead of closure

Skirlington market may have held its last Christmas market - but stallholders are still hoping for a resolution.

The market on Hornsea Road, Skipsea, was founded nearly 40 years ago, but traders have been told to vacate the site to make way for a potential extension to a holiday park.

Tom Parry, the market's director, said he was "just heartbroken", as he said almost 13,000 people signed a petition to prevent its closure.

Dermot King, chief operating officer at Unity Holidays, which bought the land last year, said it was "not a decision we have taken lightly".

The market usually closes at the end of December until the spring, but if planning permission is granted, it would not reopen in 2026.

The market has been running since 1986, and Mr Parry explained that moving it now would be too expensive.

"We'd have to spend £2m, so you'd be 25 years before you even got your money back," he said.

"Once it's gone, it's gone. We've got all these sheds, we've got the indoor markets, we've got toilet blocks, sewage systems, electricity, car parks, tarmac roads. We got full planning for a market, and you just can't get that, and it wouldn't be lucrative to do it."

Stallholders at the market on Sunday were hoping for some kind of resolution.

Imran Khan has an olive and nut stall on the market and has been trading there for more than 10 years.

He said: "It attracts so many people; see for yourself how busy it is. It's incredibly devastating, but hopefully they will put up a fight."

Joanne Coote was looking after the egg stall on Sunday, and said she was really upset about the closure.

"It's absolutely buzzing. There's loads of people here, and it's just going to be sorely missed."

A Unity Holidays spokesperson said: "Asking Skirlington Market to vacate the site after nearly 40 years is not a decision we have taken lightly, and we are aware it will disappoint both the operators and their customers.

"We have recently submitted our plans and now await the decision of the council, and in the meantime our focus and energy are centred on making our park the best it can be for our owners and holidaymakers."

Correction 8 December: A previous version of this story wrongly stated Skirlington market may have held its last event after we were told this by stallholders. In fact there are two further events in December before the market closes for the winter and we have updated the article to reflect this.

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