Retailers led by Camp Hopson are desperate to lure back the shoppers who deserted the town because of the noise, dust and disruption created in the name of making Newbury’s main shopping areas more attractive.

Camps has enlisted the help of town centre manager Mitch Roberts and Nature’s Corner’s Liz Chandler to organise a street party in July to welcome the market traders when they get ousted from the Market Place.

The event will be similar to a series of events in Bartholomew Street, involving entertainers, stiltwalkers, and balloons, which have boosted takings for little outlay.

Meanwhile, with just seven weeks to go until the £1.2m project to ban cars and plant trees in the Market Place begins, local businesses are about to receive an information pack to help avoid a repeat of the Northbrook Street fiasco, when signage arrived late, and road closures caused confusion.