Bathgate Market is back for good!

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A weekly market is returning to Bathgate on a permanent basis after a trial run was hailed as a huge success which helped to boost trade in the local area.After drawing in thousands to the town throughout June, Lucy Lawson, who runs Unicorn Markets, has won approval from West Lothian Council to bring the market back as a Saturday fixture throughout the year.The agreement comes before the end of the initial trial period of five weeks came to a close.“I couldn’t be more pleased,” Lucy told the Local Democracy Reporting Service this week. “I’m really happy.”The market site at the former station car park just off Whitburn Road drew around 4,000 visitors at its launch day on 10 June and subsequent Saturdays have been just as busy during the five week trial period.Lucy said: “ We have been really busy from the start, even when there were gala days on we’ve had a good turnout.”Good weather also helped throughout the month but support was strong even last weekend when Bathgate, like most of the country, was battered with wind and rain.“Last weekend was wet and windy but we still had a lot of visitors.

People are supporting the market come rain or shine.”Bathgate’s last market on the old horse market site - now Lidl’s car park in Whitburn Road - disappeared more than 20 years ago with collapse of the original promoter, Spook.In recent years the occasional trader has set up on the Steelyard, but this prompted complaints from local councillors following the refurbishment of the area as public open space.A market’s return to the town has also been a booster for local business.

Lucy said: “Farmfoods, which backs on to the market site, has had to get in extra staff on a Saturday and the local taxi drivers have told me that they are