Changes are ahead for the Shepton Mallet Sunday Market, after Mendip District Council approved plans to hand over the reins to a newly-formed community interest company, which says it is "looking forward to the challenge".

Mendip District Council's cabinet made a decision at the start of September to transfer the Shepton Mallet Sunday Market to the Revival Community Interest Company (CIC).

The CIC has been formed by Shepton Mallet residents who have been involved with the market as volunteers since it was re-established back in 2017.

The decision means that the market will no longer be managed by the council and instead will be run and managed by CIC under an independent licenced model.

A spokesperson for the Revival Community Interest Company said: "We are delighted to have been given the opportunity by Mendip District Council to take over the running of the monthly Sunday Market and are looking forward to the challenge.

"Our primary aim is to carry out events which will benefit the community of Shepton Mallet with particular emphasis on regeneration of the town centre.

"We are also looking forward to working with other community organisations to collaborate events to encourage residents to be proud of the town and build on its history and community spirit."

In 2017 a decision to pilot a monthly Sunday market in Shepton Mallet was taken by Mendip's Cabinet. During the last 12 to 18 months, the market has been reducing in size and has seen a decrease in footfall.

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Cllr Nick Cottle, portfolio holder for neighbourhood services, said: "Following the obvious decline of the Sunday market in the town, it was crucial we made a decision regarding the future of the market and its continued delivery.

"We believe that the decision taken by Cabinet to transfer the market to the newly formed CIC is in the best interest of everyone involved and is a positive move for the market, its supporters and the town."

The new team behind the CIC need time to set their plans in motion and work with the council on the handover of the market, so the decision has been taken by all parties for the market to take a short break before restarting in November.

Cllr Cottle said: "We wish the new CIC every success with the Shepton Mallet Sunday Market and look forward to seeing their plans develop and the monthly market returning to the town."