Traders at Stratford Outdoor Market have opposed council plans to relocate them.

They have criticised the planning and consultation process, calling it a “disgrace.”

Newham Council intends to move the market, which has been trading from the Broadway for decades, to a new site at the Grove in October 2012.

The relocation has been proposed as part of the Stratford Public Realm Works taking place around the Olympic Games but market traders say the move would be bad for business as the footfall in the Grove is far less than on the Broadway,

Stratford Outdoor Market Association (SOMA) spokesman Dennis Fisher said: “The market traders have no desire whatsoever to move to the new proposed area if indeed it should ever be granted full planning consent which it has not to date.

“We feel it is in the interest of all the traders at the Broadway, the buying public, and the general ambiance of the Town Centre to keep the Market in its current location with some adjustments as we have proposed.”

SOMA claim that no application for Approval of Details has been granted and no consultation took place - an allegation the council denies.

A Newham Council spokesman said: “We have actually consulted extensively regarding this. The first meeting with the market traders to discuss the details of the move was back in July 2011 and there have been regular meetings since then. “The new purpose-built market will provide considerably more space and stalls than the current site, which is cramped and over-subscribed.

“We are committed to the very best for traders in Newham and ensuring successful markets for both stall holders and shoppers.”

Mr Fisher, of SOMA, said: “We have had a series of meetings led by Roy Wayre and Jim Eller of the Markets Department which have proven a waste of time.”

Originally intended for April 16, the move was postponed recently by the council delaying it until October.