A Herefordshire town’s Victorian street market and Christmas lights switch-on won’t now be held this year – due to roadworks.

Leominster has held the December market, during which many stallholders and visitors dress up in period costume, in the town’s Corn Square for a number of years.

But a town council spokesperson has confirmed improvement works to streets and pavements in the centre of town, including Corn Square, are now likely to begin at the end of this year.

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“Unfortunately it currently looks as though the planned works will prevent the annual Victorian Street Market and Christmas Light Switch-On events from taking place this year,” the spokesperson said.

Leominster Town Council “is working closely with local partners to develop an alternative calendar of events to support our businesses and community during the festive period and to reduce the impact of any disruption caused by construction works”, she added.

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Coun Jenny Bartlett, who sits on both councils, said the work will “get rid of the uneven, unsafe cobbles and put down a nice clean, durable and safe surface”, adding: “These are major road renovation works that Leominster really needs.”

The start and completion dates for the work to make roads and pavements safer have not yet been confirmed.

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The Town Council meanwhile plans “some great events for the festive season, taking place around these works to compensate for not having a Victorian Street Market”, Coun Bartlett said.

The Leominster Food Fayre will still go ahead in Corn Square on Saturday September 2, the town council confirmed.

UPDATE: This article was amended on June 29 to remove a reference to the proposal to repurpose Corn Square by removing the central parking area, which is yet to be confirmed.