Stall holders at a new North Harrow street market say the idea could “save shops” in the area, but existing businesses are less enthusiastic.

The three-day parade of stalls along Station Road and Pinner Road returned yesterday for the first of a monthly market installed after a test event in March, in a bid to kickstart the local economy by Harrow Council.

Most traders said yesterday that although business was slow to begin with, they were willing to give the market, which has a range of stalls selling food, clothes, home wares and jewellery, a chance.

Alison Davies, who runs a stall selling handcrafted home accessories like cushions, said: “I got involved in the test event in March and it went really well, so when they said they were going to bring it back I was looking to get involved.

“Yesterday was obviously the first day, but I think it’s a great, positive thing in terms of trying to support local businesses and bringing in people to the high street.”

Existing businesses in North Harrow complained to the Harrow Times last year that the high street was “dying” and the market is among a raft of measures by the council to try and revive the area.

Martin Michaels, who runs a clothes stall, said many of the traders also ran stalls in St Alban’s, but said the council should scrap Thursday’s trading and move it to Sunday when more people had free time.

He added: “Most of us along here are professional market traders and we’re all in the same business, we’re not amateurs or car boot people.

“We came and did the trial, and we did OK but there were certain criticisms. It’s been alright today but yesterday it was a little bit quieter.

“It’s the only thing that’s going to save these shops – it’s good for us and it’s good for them because it increases footfall and that benefits everyone.”

Lisa Bennett, practice manager at Hillier Opticians, has called for a supermarket to return to the street to replace the old Safeway store and bowling alley which was knocked down in 2005 and replaced by flats.

She has argued that the area needs a focal point to attract customers, but was sceptical about the new market.

She said: “March’s event was much better – it was much busier and the products were of a lot better quality, which I haven’t really seen this time.

“I think it’s down to the council to try and support it a bit better.”

When the Harrow Times visited the market on Friday, the surrounding roads were much busier than earlier in the summer, and passers-by were stopping to browse the offerings of the stalls.

The three-day market will be held on the first Thursday-Saturday every month from now on, with the council hoping that an increasing popularity will mean customers also pop in to local shops.