Dorchester's weekly markets could undergo an overhaul in future months, with successful market operators from across the country invited to give presentations on what works for them.

Market operators from outside the area will be invited to explain how they run their businesses, as the contract for Dorchester's weekly Wednesday market comes up for re-tender.

Current operators Ensors have said they are interested in carrying on after 2026, but councillors have decided they need to explore if improvements can be made to turn the historic market around.

For years, income from the Wednesday market has been on a downward path, as has that from the Sunday car boot sales, also run by Ensors, with the issue accelerated by the Covid pandemic.

Figures for this financial year are also expected to be down, although the joint markets panel heard that Ensors had yet to file information for six months of the year, so far only producing figures for the first three months of 2022-23.

The markets panel heard that a number of changes could be made to the main market, including making better use of the Linneys – once animal pens – as lock-up businesses, and finding new uses for the indoor stalls area.

A small sub-committee has been suggested, made up of Dorchester town councillors and Dorset Council members and officers, to look at the options for the future.

Similar suggestions have been made in the past, with surveys and questionnaires being undertaken, but have never resulted a definitive plan for public consultation.

Community officer Graham Duggan warned this week's panel meeting that progress needed to be made and a clear timeline about what needed to be achieved, and by what date, drawn up to guide the re-tendering process.

The meeting heard that a list of five companies which run successful markets elsewhere in the country had been drawn up with the aim of inviting them to give presentations to the panel about how they operate and what works in their areas.

Overall income from the Dorchester markets operation, after expenses, was budgeted at £122,000 for the financial year but is now thought to be down to around £89,000, of which approximately £49,000 will go to Dorset Council; £26,500 to Dorchester Town Council; and £13,000 into the car boot fund, which is distributed annually to local charitable community groups.

The markets panel oversees the stalls at Cornhill, the market café, Cornmarket and share of car park fees, together with the Wednesday stall market and Sunday car boot.

Budget assumptions for next year include a rise in expenditure, mainly due to energy costs and water charges; a freeze on income from the Cornhill stalls and a 5% increase on other fees and charges, unless there is another agreement already in place.

Councillors were told that little had been spend on repairs and maintenance during the year although there is £43,000 in the reserve budget, which could rise to £60,000 by the end of the 23-24 financial year.