CLAIMS that the council has lost control of the £30 million Market Hall development were denied by leader Cllr Barbara Ronson in Saturday's Bolton Evening News.

She said that discussions had taken place to try and get the scheme back on track after it was revealed that the development will not go ahead in March as planned.

She was responding to claims made at a meeting of around 35 stallholders at the Grade II listed building held on Friday, to discuss the delay.

The developer, Agora Shopping Centres, says it is still committed to the project but will not say when work will begin.

Many traders are furious that Agora has not yet legally committed itself to compensation packages already agreed with most stall holders.

Stallholders who were expecting to leave the historic building when their leases expire in March, have now been told they can stay past this date.

Cllr Ronson said: "I do not think we have lost control of the development and I have met with the leaders of the other political parties to look at ways of speeding the process up.

"We have contacted the developer to try and resolve this problem."

Agora say that the scheme will not go ahead as planned in March because compensation packages have not been agreed with four long lease holders at the hall.

But the four - C&J Carter jewellers, Varanni Shoes, Cappuccino Coffee House and Pink Fashion - say that they have already reached an agreement with the developer but that Agora is dragging its heals in committing to it.

Around 80,000 people signed a petition earlier this year supporting the traders' battle against the scheme which would see the historic building transformed into a modern mall and stalls replaced with shop units.

Richard Hargreaves, owner of the Shoe Tree shop, said businesses had been left "dangling on a string" and did not know whether they had a future in the hall or even whether they would receive compensation for leaving.

He called on Agora to delay the development for five years, to allow traders to stabilise their businesses.

Mr Hargreaves said: "We are being left to drift and all our businesses are suffering.

"We need to stand together and demand that we are given the new leases to protect our livelihoods and the future of the hall."

Alison Raine, of Agora, said the group would meet with traders on Tuesday to discuss the future of the scheme.

She said: "We very much regret any delays and we are working hard to minimise these."