It is, according to locals, the longest continually running market in Britain. Once a week, for more than seven centuries without pause, the historic North Yorkshire town of Knaresborough has hosted street traders selling all manner of produce in its pretty town square. Along with an impressive castle and a picturesque river, the Wednesday market has become an integral part of the town’s identity. So when local politicians floated plans to tamper with an institution dating back to at least 1310, a furore was inevitable.

Last month Harrogate Borough Council, whose remit covers nearby Knaresborough as well as Ripon, informed market stallholders that in future they might have to provide their own stalls. The proposal was part of a wider plan to reduce fees for stallholders. But in a town where most ideas coming from Harrogate are treated with deep suspicion, the proposal has not gone down well.

A straw poll among stallholders found that 75% would be unable to continue due to costs and practicalities, if the council went ahead with the move. A petition opposing the plans gathered more than 6,000 signatures in a town with a population of around 15,000. In the normally sedate world of North Yorkshire politics, Harrogate’s councillors found they had unwittingly created a cause célèbre.

My company dates back to the second world war and has survived profitably since then but now I fear for my livelihood Richard Lyons, stall holder

“My company dates back to just after the second world war and it has survived profitably since then, but now I really fear for my livelihood, like never before,” says stallholder Richard Lyons.

“I received a letter from the council in late November, which included proposals requiring stallholders to buy, transport and erect stalls themselves, rather than using those currently provided by the local authority, and we were given until the end of December to respond.

“The cost for a stall and transport is beyond me, but even if I could afford it, I am 67 years of age and suffer with several health conditions. Yet they are proposing that I transport a large metal stall and erect it myself, which I simply can’t do.

“I would have to give up work and that would mean me being forced to live off state benefits. It makes me feel sick, just thinking about it.”

The council, which is Conservative-controlled, argues that the market is in decline, pointing out that stall occupancy has shrunk by 10% since 2015. Council leader Richard Cooper said: “The people of Knaresborough are passionate about their market. So am I. These are ancient markets which mix tradition and innovation. But, despite still being successful, they are shrinking year on year. That is why we need to look at changes. We are doing that now with the local community, traders and shoppers.”

According to Cooper, giving stallholders the freedom to set up their own stalls, rather than take what they are given, would allow them to “exhibit and sell their goods in the way they want”.

But that optimism was not widely shared last week in Knaresborough’s market square, where stalls were selling fish, meat, Yorkshire pork pies, handbags, wool and Christmas goods. In the shadow of a statue of John “Blind Jack” Metcalf, the Knaresborough native who built thousands of roads across the north of England, town crier Roger Hewitt was announcing the news as he does every market day. His theme was a town council meeting where more than 120 protesters had demonstrated the strength of feeling about what is being called “marketgate”.

Over a pint in the Old Royal Oak pub, which dates back to the 18th century, Hewitt said: “Officially, the market has been here for more than 700 years. In 1310 Edward II gave the town the market charter. But from my research it was first recorded in 1240, when it would have been classed as a ‘black market’. And it has been operating all that time – there hasn’t been a recorded break in nearly 780 years. It is a remarkable achievement. What an absolute shame it would be to end what is now a very rare and much-treasured English tradition that brings thousands of visitors.”

Steve Teggin, a hairdresser and president of Knaresborough’s Chamber of Trade, has rallied stallholders and other business owners to what he says is the cause of saving the market.

He said “The public and businesses have come together to tell the council that their proposals will mean the end of the market as we know it. They haven’t consulted properly and sent letters out to stallholders at Christmas – the busiest time of year – leaving them little opportunity to respond. We believe it is partly about saving the £50,000 subsidy the council spends on the markets.”

Cooper denied this, saying: “We spend £50,000 a year direct costs on supporting Ripon and Knaresborough markets. This is viewed as an investment in the economic vitality of the two towns rather than a cost to the taxpayer.”

Nevetheless, the traditionalists have won the first battle in what may turn out to be a long war. Cooper said that following the ferocious backlash, the council has “parked the plans for now”.

Regular market visitor Kathleen Lynch, who was at the rowdy council meeting last week, said: “I hope they listen to the people. My family have been coming here for 50 years. It is a prestigious market and means so much to the community. It is a real focal point socially and the town will be devastated without it. Not only do the stallholders benefit, but all the surrounding businesses get the knock-on too. I hope the council recognise that.”

Teggin believes this is only the start of a long resistance campaign: “I believe the proposals will surface again in a few months, but we are now united and ready to fight to keep this jewel in Yorkshire’s crown alive. It has survived for more than 700 years and it won’t be lost without a battle.”