FED-up residents are calling for the Makers Market in Knutsford to be moved to offer them some peace and quiet.

The market has taken place on the first Sunday of the month in Princess Street since 2013.

It is one of the largest artisan markets of its type in the UK, but residents have had enough of the disruption they say it causes to their lives.

They are calling for it to be moved, with resident Richard Cussons pleading their case at Monday’s town council meeting.

Mr Cussons said he was there to represent the residents of Silk Mill Street and the town centre in general.

He said: “It’s becoming extremely disruptive for residents in the town centre, most notably in Silk Mill Street, because residents who live there are unable to use the car park, unable to access their cars from 6am on Sunday, ie Saturday night, and last thing on Sunday night, because the stalls are erected from 6am.

“In addition they have considerable noise to put up with when the company erecting the stalls arrives at 6 o’clock in the morning, and their sleep is disturbed.

“A number of these residents are elderly, because they live in the Marjorie Hurst Trust cottages, or live in other locations where they are doing shift work quite often late on Saturday night because they work in the pubs and restaurants around town, and are having their early morning sleep disturbed by the stalls being set up first thing on Sunday morning.”

Mr Cussons said there were also considerable health and safety risks regarding the positioning of the market in Princess Street, because once the stalls were up it was not possible for emergency vehicles to access Silk Mill Street.

“On a previous occasion somebody fell ill and had to be stretchered out by the ambulance people because the ambulance could not reach those residents in Silk Mill Street,” he said.

“I’m also very concerned about the fire risk. Once these stalls have been erected it’s not possible for a fire vehicle to get into Princess Street or Silk Mill Street.

“If a fire was to break out time is of the essence, and there is no time for fire crews or anybody else to move all those stalls out of the way for a fire vehicle to attend a fire in Silk Mill Street.

“My request to the town council is that you find somewhere else for this market. It’s not a suitable position for it to be in Princess Street and to disrupt the lives of the residents living in Silk Mill Street.”

The town council is to discuss the concerns raised by the residents.