TRADERS who have launched a High Court battle over the future of Birmingham’s wholesale market say they have withdrawn from consultation discussions with council chiefs.

A spokesman for the wholesale market traders’ association said that while a judicial review application was being considered by the court, it would be a waste of time to continue discussions with Birmingham City Council over the Pershore Street site.

Wholesale traders have lodged a complaint with the courts that the consultation process over the relocation of the markets has been carried out incorrectly.

Keith Smith, a member of the traders’ association committee, said: “We attended last week’s consultation meeting and after running through the past minutes to help bring thing up to date, we confirmed that on advice from out legal team, in our view the consultation process should be suspended until the conclusion of the judicial review proceedings.

“The entire process has been called into question by the judicial review application we are pursuing. Birmingham City Council stated they would not suspend the meeting we have and they would continue without us, so we left, they carried on.

“Since the meeting we have clarified to Birmingham City Council that we fail to see any basis on which they can continue with the consultation process unilaterally and that we have simply suspended consultation pending the outcome of legal proceedings to avoid wasted time and costs.”

The traders have been meeting regularly with council market chiefs since July 28 when it was revealed the relocation of the Pershore Street site had fallen through.

“Discussions over alternative sites and investors have been at the forefront of discussions after the council ruled out funding a refurbishment of the traders current site or the previously planned £80 Million move to Witton.

A spokesman for the authority said of the collapsed consultation: “Down to the potential for a judicial review in this area we are unable to comment at this time.”