SEATON town councillors were shocked to learn they had the choice to lift limitations on street markets in the town.

SEATON town councillors were shocked to learn they had the choice to lift limitations on street markets in the town.Councillors held a meeting last week to discuss East Devon District Council's �15 non-refundable charge for each stall.They say it was the first they heard about the market prohibitions being an option and will now decide a plan of action.Councillors and residents have protested against the fees and earlier this month the Royal British Legion cancelled a street market because of license restrictions.Cllr Peter Burrows said: "I feel totally let down by EDDC for not giving us the full option. "If Seaton had known that one of the options could be to remove the prohibitions everyone would have gone for that."This could have been resolved last year. Instead Seaton charities and traders have lost business and I feel sorry for them. EDDC strikes again."As the Herald went to press, Seaton Town Council was holding an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday, May 26.Mayor Sandra Semple said: "Hopefully we have found a way forward, provided we get the cooperation of EDDC. We have to agree a course of action to put to the town council."A spokesman for EDDC said the council had been in discussions with Seaton Town Council since August 28 about street trading regulations in the town.He said: "We appreciate that there is a need within the community and for charitable events to close streets on certain occasions and to allow licensed trading. It is not in any way the district council's wish to frustrate that need or to harm Seaton - quite the contrary."Having been asked by the former clerk to the town council, Mr Philip Higginson, to look at the existing situation, it was clear that some action needed to be taken to ensure that any street markets held were lawful."In co-operation with the town council, through their new town clerk David Mears, and working with several major local charities, we have been reviewing how this might be achieved."EDDC proposes to take a report to the next meeting of the licensing committee on June 9.