WITNEY’S historic Market Square was buzzing with musicians and stallholders to mark its reopening.

The square has undergone a £40,000 revamp to replace paving slabs that had been broken or been lifted by tree roots.

To mark its official reopening, acts performed through the day and the regular Thursday and Saturday stallholders returned.

Stallholders had been moved off the square and across the road and under the Town Hall during the project.

The work was paid for through Oxfordshire County Council’s stewardship fund, in which councillors are given £15,000 each to spend on their ward.

David Harvey, West Oxfordshire District Council’s cabinet member for environment, has been involved in the project for the past two years.

He said: “Working with the district and town council, we looked at what could make a significant difference in the centre of Witney and there were three projects.

“One was the bollards on Church Green, the second part was the pavement on either side of Corn Street and the third was the resurfacing of Market Square.

“These were the three areas that really were letting the town down. It’s excellent to see it all completed.”

County councillors Steve Hayward, David Robertson, Charles Mathew and Louise Chapman also contributed money to the project from their area stewaedship funds.

Henry Box School student Matt Russ, 17, from Witney, performed in the Market Square as part of the reopening celebrations.

He said: “It was nice. I normally busk down in Oxford, so I thought it was a good opportunity to play in Witney for once.”

Market days are held on Thursdays and Saturdays, with a farmers’ market held once a month on Fridays.